Foxtel boss: “We love competition”
Kim Williams fires off at Freeview and TiVo at the ASTRA conference in Sydney yesterday.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Subscription
At the ASTRA conference at the Sydney Hilton yesterday, Foxtel CEO Kim Williams sounds like he was preaching to the converted. Unsurprisingly he shot down Freeview and TiVo and spruiked the marvels of iQ2 and pay, sorry, subscription television.
He said no one has noticed most of the FTA digital channels are already running.
“12 of the 15 channels are already up and running- it’s just no one has noticed them,” he said.
“I would imagine in the current economic circumstances, the impact will be modest,” he told The Australian. “I don’t think they’re going to be making humungous bids for sports rights.”
But there were some interesting observations. Williams says Foxtel sold more iQ’s in December than TiVo did in six months. In 15 months Foxtel has nearly doubled take-up of the iQ to 37 per cent.
“If you care enough about TV to consider a PVR, then you care enough about TV to get subscription TV. Although you can order a pizza through TiVo, but it’s a very expensive way to order a pizza.”
Next year Foxtel will launch a number of new channels as well as new broadband capabilities. The new technology will allow Foxtel subscribers to down load content onto their computer at no extra cost.
In the next month Foxtel’s website will be relaunched with an improved program directory and a keyword search facility.
It will also introduce the ability to record an upcoming program at the press of a button when a preview airs.
Source: B&T, The Australian
19 Responses
“Next year Foxtel will launch a number of new channels as well as new broadband capabilities. The new technology will allow Foxtel subscribers to down load content onto their computer at no extra cost.”
limited to only streaming back through their own box due to the encryption and no ability to play other files im sure.
@ryan we pay for tv because it gives us more choice, yes theres lots of repeats but foxtel gives us movies, sport, 24hr live news, docs., kids shows and music almost 24hrs of the day, FTA tv does not, Freeview wont, Freeview uk has kids channels, lifestyle channels, news channels, sport channels, and music channels. but here in oz we dont get that yet and we wont unless the FTA networks want to put the money in to create these channels becasue no one else is allowed to, yes ONE HD will give us sport but we need all different types of channels not just 12 we have now which most people dont even see FTA in australia as 12 they see it more like 5 or 6.
you know why the world is becoming obese?? its because people sit on their asses all day watching foxtel!! foxtel is scared and doesnt even compare to the free to air networks. who the hell would pay for television??
what a loser, this guys claims the channels are already running and yet i have to wait till march 26th for one hd!!!
according to smh tbs will be launching an australian version of adult swim
“given that a quirky new pay TV channel TBS plans for the Australian market this year, Adult Swim, is outrating Leno in the US”
although in the us adult swim is aired on cartoon network at night rather than a channel in its own right, if thats what there planning to do hear then calling it a new channel is misleading
Which is why I didn’t list it. I’m not conviced it’s one of the two being referred to by Sams.
Kim Williams has nothing to worry about, Freeview is shaping up to be the Trainwreck on 2009
Foxtel are so paranoid that they want it to be called subscription instead of pay because “free”view sounds cheaper.
AFL in HD* on ONE and SD on 7 for free* or $76/month plus $200 IQ2 sign up on Fox Sports HD. If only 7 added HD to their coverage.
*Buy a TEAC Twin HD Tuner PVR for $350 and that’s it or pay $910 pa every year for Fox Sports HD on IQ2. No wonder people download in addition to FTA. $560 ahead in the first year makes the ads saying you’ll save money look somewhat dodgy.
so now its not may or the end of this year but next year we “may” get new channels if its not pushed back again to the end of next yaer
foxtel is still too expensive. I had both optus vision and foxtel and find it very expensive to have. If it is reasonable price, then I might get it again. But my friends from overseas came here, and could not believe how pay tv can be expensive here.
what competition. their isnt any to be honest. one hd wont even get close to foxsports
isnt foxtel launching channels later this year
Earthquake, thanks for that, but I don’t think the ch44 group and radio channels counts towards the FreeView spin, otherwise thay would not doubt be promoting the service as something like 25 channels which would make it sound more impressive, and marketing would be all over it.
this article states:
“Next year Foxtel will launch a number of new channels as well as new broadband capabilities. The new technology will allow Foxtel subscribers to down load content onto their computer at no extra cost.”
but an article from tvtongiht in February says:
Mr Williams said Foxtel would offer “broadband extensions of the product” by the fourth quarter of this year, which would allow subscribers to download 10 to 20 favourite Foxtel programs on their service to computers.
He said the company was likely to launch 20-plus new channels by the end of the year courtesy of the additional bandwidth from a new Optus satellite.
Andrew B, with all due respect this time next week Sydney will have (not including simulcast channels) One HD, ABC1, SBS, FTV Guide, Seven, Nine, Ten, ABC2, SBS2, NITV, D44-News, D44, NSWTV, ACC, Teachers TV/Parliament 1 & 2, Expo, 7 HD, 9 HD plus audio channels – SBS Radio 1, SBS Radio 2, Dig Radio, Dig Jazz.
So that is more like 23 channels in total.
I know I don’t watch/listen to some of those channels, but a lot of people don’t use 100% of the foxtel channels either, but they’re all still counted in when they talk about all the content that they have.
“12 of the 15 channels are already up and running- it’s just no one has noticed them,” he said.
How’s he counting the channels? I make it 10 at best, and that’s if you count the very part time 7HD and 9HD break away programming. I don’t count simulcasts as channels – if you did that, you actually have 21 channels. 32 on the Central Coast with regionals as well as Sydney.
Honestly, FreeView is not going to affect Foxtel at all.
Please can we scrap Austar so we in the regionals can enjoy the benefits of Foxtel and IQ and not the crappy overpriced MyStar.. and slow to act Austar.
Of course he’s right with 12 of the 15 FTA digital channels already running, so all this fuss is over maybe 3 more channels.
BTW I thought the current Foxtel online guide was pretty good, can’t wait to see if the ‘improvements’ make it better or worse to use.
If he’s not that worried about FTA why does mentioned them particularly sports rights bidding and PVR equipment both of which are chnaging viewing habits (potentially). Freeview ain’t the greatest thing and neither is $55/month for a handful of sport channels