Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Well this is a turn up for the books, especially as Foxtel have had the rights since 1997. Which is basically the time people have been able to watch their team live on TV. Before 97 it was mostly delayed or recorded. and only 1 league game per week.... as far as I recall that is.

So anyone care to speculate how Optus are going to get this to the masses ? Any overseas examples on how this will work ?


Foxtel would have to be in big big trouble hanging onto it's audience.

BTW I was very surprised to read that the A league captures a bigger audience on Foxtel than the premier league. I wrongly assumed that football Eurosnobs didn't bother with the A league.... Well you live and you learn. This also means that the A league will be pushing for far more money to cover the domestic league here. I think the A league may actually be gaining the casual sports watcher rather than the EPL watcher with the casual sports watcher having larger numbers. Possibly a better audience from the point of view of making up their minds to actually go to a game.









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Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Interesting. A similar thing has happened in the UK. Sky showed most footy as the BBC and ITV became increasingly irrelevant with highlights only and some cup matches. Now BT Sport has entered the fray and taken Champions League and some of EPL and Scottish leagues from Sky. They also show Bundesliga, Serie A, Brasileiro, Portugese league etc and Sky are left with Eredivisie. This has been fortunate for us because we get BT Sport bundled in for free with our phone/broadband package and we pay for Sky as well.

Hyundai A-League matches are shown live on BT Sport (5 or 6 a week) - MCFC vs Wellington Phoenix from Etihad is on now live as I 'speak'. There's also a weekly highlights package and it's the Foxtel coverage. I was wondering if you were in the crowd Ozzie as they showed them singing Stand by Me?

BT Sport also showed most of the AFL matches live. NRL is on a separate Premier Sports channel which I don't pay extra for as I'm not all that interested in it. BT Sport has MBL and NBA so they have a very fast growing subscriber base.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Either on their FetchTV platform or via a stand alone streamed subscription like many US sports are going...similar to NFL pass.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

You can't mix up the two Melbourne Teams like that OT !!! I wasn't there for once. Worked the previous night and working tonight and it's catching up with me a bit, both big nights with 2 hours OTime. First time I've missed that traditional pre Melbourne cup game v Wellington fixture. Had a bbq and a few beers at home whilst watching. Great result though, bit unexpected. Good to hear you can watch in the U.K.

When they start singing that song is usually the cue for our little lot to make our way from the "Locker Room" down to the South End..... We're usually in position at AAMI though as the bar there is crap.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

A nice idea in theory, and anything that weakens Murdoch is a bonus in my book, but I have the utmost confidence in Optus to stuff it up somehow.

The current fox coverage of the EPL is, in fairness, excellent and I have no doubt that however Optus deliver it, it will be a poorer product for at least the first season or two.

It also means I will be finally cancelling my foxtel, as will tens of thousands of other British and Irish expats I imagine.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Despite the A league being on in Prime time, with an appropriately adjusted price tag of course ?

Bloody entertaining game last night if you watched it. League one standard admittedly, but entertaining none the less.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

I am a big fan of the A League and regularly watch it. I also enjoy NRL, but I don't think either will be enough to keep on the expense of foxtel for me personally.

Both have game on free-to-air every week, which will be enough for me, and then can always go down the pub if a game of particular interest is on.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Ah thanks for the reminder on this. Need to kill off the sports and save some dosh. I checked the calendar and there's not really any sports I need to pay money to watch for the rest of the year.

I want to kill off Foxtel all together but wife wants British TV amd the ability to record the rubbish. The wifes technical insecurities around VPN's is costing us :)

Not sure how Foxtel plans on making a living long term.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

Get in while it's cheap:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/218116

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

It was $90. $5 supplement for EPL.

Re: Optus secure rights to EPL in Aus.
 

MVFC!!! Got me. :rofl: Yeah, I enjoy watching some of the games each week and will be at some MVFC and MCFC games in the new year.