Cricket to lead Foxtel 4K channel launch in October
Foxtel is to launch a 4K channel featuring live sport, films and documentaries with cricket to be the first focus of the new service at its October launch
New Foxtel boss Patrick Delany described the move as a “new chapter in Australian television”, adding it was not only about building out its subscriber base, but recognising the subscription TV’s existing 2.8m customers.
Delany said it marked a “new chapter in Australian television”
“Get ready to see content like never before. From October, Foxtel will launch Australia’s first ever 4K channel,” Delany told journalists at a press briefing announcing the new channel 444 that will be available to subscribers of Foxtel’s sports and HD packages.
“It’s delivered in 4K guaranteed over a big fat satellite signal. That means we can guarantee it nationwide, doesn’t matter where you live, doesn’t matter what town, you’ll be able to get it.”
Foxtel claims it is the first channel in Australia to deliver sport in 4K
Delany said the first focus of the new channel would be the cricket, which Foxtel obtained the rights to earlier this year.
Foxtel will show all men’s domestic tests and one day internationals along with some Big Bash League games on the new channel.
Under the rights deal, all domestic test matches and Big Bash Leagues games will be simulcast on Seven and a dedicated Fox cricket channel along with 23 Women’s Big Bash League games and all women’s international fixtures.
Foxtel will have exclusive rights to the One Day Internationals and digital rights will be held by Foxtel and will form the basis of a partnership with CA’s digital arm, the Cricket Network.
While the channel will showcase a range of documentaries, concerts music and selected films, Delany said the first thing to “power” the channel would be cricket, which kicks off on November 4 with the live match between Australia and South Africa.
“This will be Australia’s first live 4K sports broadcast and it will be cricket like never before – 20 times the definition of standard definition and four times the definition of HD. Every ball of every over of every day of Australian prime cricket will be in one place on Australian Fox cricket. It will never be interrupted in live by ad breaks and now presented in 4K,” he said.
When asked whether the channel would be ad-free, Delany admitted he “hadn’t thought about it”.
“The sport – we would never break a live game and we would never break a movie,” he said.
Delany wouldn’t specify the exact cost of the investment, describing it as “sizeable”. He also wouldn’t put a number on the subscribers needed to make the investment worthwhile.
“Foxtel is a big and profitable business already so maintaining that is a major goal, adding value to customers is a very worthwhile investment,” he said.
But he added: “Today marks a new chapter in Australian TV and at Foxtel we are only just getting started. You should be prepared for a whole range of announcements of new products and services.”
Well after the IQ3 debacle where staff whom trials showed up devestating software glitches and warned mangers not to go ahead with IQ3, but Management decided to Go live and worry about it later. Were about to do the same with IQ4 glitches in software making the Optus worldcup seem good, and charge $225.00 for the privilege, and of course there will be ads and promo’s screened during change of overs, also i cant wait to tell our loyal sports fans they must subscribe to the 4k channel (-:
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That logo is just terrible, when are they getting rid of it??? Didn’t they have dots at one stage.
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wow new box with 4k just in time to watch australia get belted by 100 countries that are million times better..and also cricket wow great sport to state as the future? only 90;s years old watch that rubbish…and they say football is boring pfft..cant imagine the fools who will pay top dollar to buy a bug ridden product from foxtel just to watch sports such as afl nrl and cricket wow…too bad we suck at each sport at an international level..murdochs will be laughing all the way to the bank..netflix has had 4k for 3 years, foxtel isnt an innovator anymore its a follower..
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So we pay extra $10 a month for HD so one is to assume they will charge $40?
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Please, do tell. I’m aware of all the iQ3 glitches, but what have you guys found in the iQ4?
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Hey, hey, it’s the Patrick and Andy show now, nothing can stop iQ4(K) being a complete success!
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I believe the new logo was done by Interbland
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#dinosaursonparade
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I saw the ads for it today. Oh dear Oh dear
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Classic all singing all dancing Patrick, let’s hope this lasts longer than the 3D channel, (also ‘see content like never before’ i believe) that ran out of gas due to lack of interest and content. Expect one of these launches every 3 months until they can offload Foxtel to some hapless super funds.
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Actually – what happened to the dots that were in the shape of an “f”?
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Sport is king in Australia and Cricket on Foxtel will break every STV ratings record in the books! Can’t wait for 4K. Great work Patrick and team.
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Is that you? Nice one!
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Well every one knows there is a brief delay using Satellite TV technology(Satellite Dish) v’s Terrestrial FTA(using your Free to Air Antenna). The 4k channel via Satellite delays the process even further, hence your next door neighbor will be cheering centuries and wickets earlier than you do (EPL fiasco!) The amount of times the 4k Signal ‘jumps’ in live testing is embarrassing, its ok watching movies, but live sport is just like watching our ESPN 3D channel an Australian first, now where did that channel go… ? Whoops did i mention time to drop a few channels from our Satellite TV list to make room for our 4k channel…whoops …shhhh!
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Some people didn’t like the fact that it made the word ‘foxtel’ look smaller when paired.
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How boring, cricket in 4k !! Now we really can watch the grass grow… should of chosen Bathurst 1000 to launch 4K
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