Fox Sports kicks off its expanded sports strategy as BeIn Sports channels go live

May 15, 2016 11:11

Foxtel launched three new beIN sports channels over the weeken

Foxtel has officially kicked off its strategy to counter the loss of the English Premier League to Optus with three new BeIn Sports channels going live over the weekend.

The three new channels, which have been added to the Fox Sports subscription package for free, launched on Sunday with viewers waking to live Major League Soccer from the US.

Foxtel hastily cobbled together the deal to carry the channels in the months after the Optus gazumped the broadcaster to win the EPL rights.

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Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

Topics

BeIn EPL Fox Sports Foxtel

1 COMMENTS

Mark Scarfe 15 May 16

Simon, this is a poor piece of badly researched writing. You call this deal hastily cobbled together. The technical logistics of getting 3 HD and SD channels would be a major issue as well as getting an other company (BeIN) to agree to Foxtel terms, would have beed a massive feat by the Foxtel negotiating team. Don’t forget the channels are no extra charge to Foxtel porting pack subscribers (for now).
The second point is even more glaring. “With no EPL to promote, Fox Sports will now focus on the exclusive rights owned by beIN, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga.” Fox Sports didn’t do the deal to get BeIN on the platform. Foxtel did. Fox Sports is in competition for eye balls and advertisers. Ask Patrick Delany if he’s happy about it. The Foxtel CEO has done all the talking not Fox Sports or ESPN for that matter in regard to BeIN coming to the sports pack.

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