Foxtel says it is open to ‘partner’ with Optus as it moves to calm Facebook furore over EPL loss
Foxtel has moved to assuage furious fans who have beseiged its Facebook page by telling them it is willing to talk to Optus about buying back the rights to the English Premier League.
Foxtel has copped a hammering from football fans who say the loss of the EPL means they now have little reason to subscribe to the Pay TV service.
But in response to one of them a spokesman replied: “All we can say at this stage (because this has only just happened) is that in coming months we’ll we’ll review all options. We don’t know how Optus plans to broadcast the EPL and we’d be happy to talk to them about whether there is an opportunity for us to partner with them in some way.”
From Ausgust hey? 😛
Hi Damien,
Yep – August is getting an extra consonant from 2016 onwards – keep up….
Fixed up now.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
Optus is doing what Telstra should have done. There is a huge incentive for substantial second tier players to take the original route Murdoch did with sport etc. Optus is merely doing what telcos would have done to murdoch’s pay tv in the UK and US if they hadn’t been fat and lazy.
The really interesting question: what will telstra do? They’re getting serious pressure on mobile and data and now there’s a content play.Personally, I think they’ll take the Fairfax option and bonus themselves to death. (Metaphor for you, Maserati Man.)
optus pfft foxtel is a joke if it was serious about football in this country it would make more of an effort to show more leagues, epl isn’t serious money because its live at 11pm -5am so 60 mill is fare when you compare US pay 1billion for 6 yrs as time is 6 hrs behind theirs. optus will make spread across platforms big deal but which idiots watch sport on their tablets or iphone? kidding me..foxtel did a good job with the record function and fetch is a mere copycat and not even in the same league..would of preferred TPG or beinsport to get it at least they have platorms to show the games..the gov also doesn’t allow bein to have 2 more channels and HD its a conspiracy to let foxtel be no1..how sad..fox around the world is losing rights to sports so sucked in, ten should get sunday games for aleague and show em on one.
Firstly thanks to Mumbrella for continuing to update us with excellent coverage on the Optus – Foxtel – EPL saga….Without the hysteria of one or two other media news outlets I have to say!!
Secondly the idea that someone (like me) who has been used to watching the EPL, probably the worlds biggest and most watched week to week sporting competition on a 109cm HD plasma, in all it’s glory will now somehow want to watch it my 9 inch tablet says the powers to be out there in telco-land are well and truly deluded!!!
Surely they will have to have a proper television component to this new deal?? Okay so I’ve heard about Fetch TV but from what I understand it’s a piece of media hardware that doesn’t actually do what is says on the can (ie work). I know several people with experience of Fetch and all of them say it’s hopeless. So surely Optus are going to have re-invent their Fetch TV delivery or try and buy space on the never (or at least rarely) fail Foxtel platform???
This will be a game of cat and mouse played out over the next few months…..
@John Paul Rowe – My understanding is the Fetch supports 1080p.
We’re yet to hear how optus is going to provide the content. Maybe they’ll create a subscription based app for apple tv or fetch or Samsung TVs app store.
If Fetch broadcasts 1080p, the picture is likely to be superior to the 1080i from Foxtel.
It’s a disaster however you look at it..
Apple TV is the future , the epl teams will create there own live streaming apps for this platform as they do know .
If Optus want a roi then create an epl app sell it for $19 a month and subsidised access to new subscribers …..,
Its a nice idea Jason but I am not quite sure the sports governing body who’s single largest revenue is from selling tv rights will go for that.
Many of the bigger clubs already have their own channel where they do behind the scenes stuff etc but they don’t show their matches.
@John Paul Rowe
Haven’t you heard of chromecast? On that note, will Google show sport live on YouTube? Surely it’s only a matter of time? Surely?
Thinking about this now we are all going to lose because these guys just want to make money end of. We are going to get a rubbish product that will have dozens of channels no one take wants forced on us just to watch the games. The sooner each club can have their own subscription to all their matches the better
When I started with Optus I got a fetch box. My connection, I am a huge 1.1 km from the nearest exchange, is so poor that I could not stay on long enough to to signal.
I can just about get a signal on my iPad. Please go back to Foxtel, at least that works