Here’s how to watch new episodes early.
Home and Away will shift to a stream-first approach in the UK next week,
The Summer Bay soap will premiere brand new episodes on Channel 5’s streaming service, ahead of their TV airings.
Currently, Home and Away fans get their first chance to watch a new episode via 5STAR’s first-look screening at 6.30pm on weekday evenings.
From next week, this all changes as the daily new episode will drop on streaming at 6am ahead of the first-look airing at 6.30pm.
Viewers can expect the change to take effect from Monday, March 10.
That morning, Episode 8407 will go live on streaming at 6am before the first-look edition at 6.30pm on 5STAR that evening. As always, the Channel 5 daytime airing will screen at 1.45pm the following day.
This will give fans an early chance to watch all the intrigue and suspicion unfold, following a mysterious attack against Tim Russell during Lyrik’s rehearsal retreat.
Home and Away’s big change comes as Channel 5 prepares to reveal a wider rebrand.
On Wednesday, March 12, Channel 5 and its streaming service My5 will both relaunch simply as 5.
The broadcaster wants to unite linear, streaming and digital platforms under one brand.
A spokesperson told: “With these changes, we’ll also have a greatly improved user experience on our streaming product, and a significantly increased range of content for our viewers to enjoy, with more from the Paramount family and beyond, including MTV reality, Nickelodeon and Paramount+.”
The news means that all of the main soaps in the UK will now release episodes on streaming ahead of the linear broadcasts.
Hollyoaks and EastEnders made this transition in 2022, while Coronation Street and Emmerdale followed suit at the end of last year.
Fellow Aussie soap Neighbours – which is streaming-only – is also releasing new episodes on Prime Video four times a week each morning until the show ends in December.
