Where to watch The Idol in Australia

Hot off the hype around Euphoria's award-winning second season, Sam Levinson is putting his talents to work with a new series called The Idol. Throughout its production, the series has been shrouded in mystery.

Early trailers seem to suggest it'll be just as raunchy and over-the-top as Levinson's other projects, while an older and star-studded cast promises to lend it an entirely different vibe to earlier efforts.

Of course, Levinson is only half the equation here. The Idol is set to offer up "The Weekend" first acting performance, with several of Abel Tesfaye's frequent collaborators also attached to the project. In any case, Aussies looking to jump into The Idol the second that the first episode airs will need to sign up with one of two streaming services.

• Foxtel Now
• Binge
• Foxtel via FOX SHOWCASE

In Australia, the first season of The Idol will be available to stream via both Binge and Foxtel Now on June 5, 2023. The series will also air week-to-week via Foxtel's classic pay TV service. 

If you're not already a Binge subscriber, the premiere of The Idol is a great excuse to sign up for the service on a 7-day free trial. While that won't last you the full season, it'll get you part of the way there. Even if you forget to cancel, the most you'll end up paying for Binge is $22 per month. What's more, the service has tons of other great TV shows including the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, The White Lotus and Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal.

In comparison, the cost of a Foxtel Now membership that includes the Essentials channel pack (which you'll need if you want to watch The Idol) starts at $25 per month.

If you're looking to swap NBN providers, all Telstra NBN plans currently include two free months of Binge. This offer is available to customers new to Binge. You'll pay $16 per month after your two free months are up, but can always cancel. 

Here are Telstra's NBN plans: 

The first season of The Idol will consist of six episodes, the first of which will debut on June 5, 2023.

Back in 2020, Foxtel signed a multi-year licensing agreement with WarnerMedia securing access to HBO and select HBO Max Original content for the foreseeable future. As long as that arrangement is in place, expect to find both the current and future seasons of The Idol on both Binge and Foxtel Now.

A collaboration between Abel Tesfaye and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, The Idol is a drama that stars The Weeknd in his first acting role as an enigmatic club owner who falls into a relationship with an up-and-coming pop star (Lily-Rose Depp).

Little is known about the series beyond this vague premise, and the laundry list of stars attached to the project. On top of The Weeknd and Depp, the first season of The Idol will also feature appearances from Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Suzanna Son, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Jennie Ruby Jane, Eli Roth, Hank Azaria and more.

Binge is Foxtel's second streaming service. Rather than adopt the cable-style channel packs model seen with Foxtel Now, Binge has a more Netflix-inspired subscription system. You pay a monthly fee, you get access to everything in the Binge library plus the features associated with your membership tier.

Check out the table below for a breakdown of how Binge compares to Australia's other streaming services.