After the advent of streaming services in the pandemic era, you’d think people would completely abandon cable TV. They didn’t. Instead, cable TV got an opportunity to improve and learn from the industry leaders in entertainment. This enabled them to produce some of the best content to stream, and that’s what we’ll talk about.
In this article, we will share the best Australian channels to stream in 2021. These channels have even been fan-favorites for quite some time and continue to amaze your Australian crowd. Whether you’re surfing a tv guide for Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, or Adelaide, you will find these channels there. Most of these are free-to-air channels which is a great relief. Let’s get started:
1. Channel 7
Channel 7 deserves the title of the highest-rated TV network in Australia. It has held this title since 2007. It has possession of the most popular secondary channel in Australia called 7Mate. Channel 7 is a major sports broadcaster and provides live coverage of AFL matches and cricket series.
It was also the primary broadcaster of the Sydney Olympics back in 2000, which had a viewership of over 6.5 million people. It still holds the position of being a reliable Olympics host since 2020. Channel 7 also was the official broadcaster of the AFL matches for 45 years.
Based on the TV guide, channel 7 is currently streaming the following shows and movies:
- My Kitchen Rules
- The Good Doctor
- House Rules
- Better Homes and Gardens
- Border Security
- Australia’s got Talent
- Highway Patrol
- Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Unbelievable Moments Caught on Camera
- The Chase Australia
2. ABC Television
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the official channel of the publicly funded media organization in Australia. ABC, in short, is the default for Australian viewers, looking to stream important news, movies, and TV shows. It is the oldest channel known to Australia, about 65 years (dated 5th of November 1956). It also has 4 non-commercial channels that provide content of genuine value, handpicked by the corporation as purposeful, important, and needful during emergency updates and news. ABC Television is responsible for some of the best shows found on TV like:
- Q&A
- Media Watch
- Catalyst
- Australian Story
- Four Corners
- Dragons: Defenders of Berk
- The Day my Butt went Psycho
- Kangaroo Beach
- Peppa Pig
- Bananas in Pyjamas
3. SBS
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is a hybrid-funded TV and radio broadcast all over Australia. Just like ABC, this channel is rooted back in history. It originated during World War 2 as a method of providing important broadcastings for the post-war period. At that time, the ethnic group flooding had plagued Australia, and the channel aided in that area. It was then reborn in 1978 and became the home for international content for us to watch. Most of its content was aided with subtitles but its biggest fame is rebroadcasting the hit show, South Park, for our audience. Other than that, SBS is home to many popular shows like:
- Dateline
- The Feed
- Who Do you Think you Are?
- The Employables
- Breaking the Biz
- The Cook Up with Adam Liaw
- Jeopardy!
- Little Big Brother
- Animal Einstein
- ISU Figure Skating: Grand Prix Russia
4. Channel 10
Channel 10 is the cornerstone of Australian entertainment in the world of reality TV. But this channel has seen its fair share of ups and downs. The channel had great ratings with shows like Young Talent Time and Number 96. But it was 2001 where the channel gained its actual popularity by featuring Australian Idol. That was the channel’s limelight and since then, it has amassed a great number of shows and movies like:
- MasterChef Australia
- Bondi Rescue
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- The Bold and the Beautiful
- Jag
- Frasier
- Becker
- Diagnosis Murder
- iCarly
- Farm to Fork
5. Channel 9
Channel 9 is the most popular of the bunch with the best commercial TV. It aims to dominate the news and current affairs domain. Amidst the big three in Australian channels, (Channel 9, 10, and 7) channel 9 leads the pack. Channel 9’s appeal is shows like Current Affairs and 60 minutes, which are investigative shows. It even produces reality TV shows like Married at First Site, Millionaire Hot Seat, and many more. Some of its shows and movies, according to the TV guide, include:
- The Flying Doctors
- Murder, She Wrote
- Malcolm in the Middle
- The Nanny
- 3rd Rock from the Sun
- That 70s Show
- Young Sheldon
- Everybody Loves Raymond
- Salvage Hunters
- Tanked
Conclusion
It’s a great year for us as cable TV has all our entertainment needs fulfilled. Everything from reality TV shows to reruns to modern TV shows is live and available to watch. Each of these channels has its streaming service as well, so if you’re developing a personal favorite, it would be a good idea to check it out. But for now, these channels have a lot more to offer so kick back, relax, and enjoy streaming your favorite Australian channels. Cheers!
