New Foxtel prices from March
Foxtel has announced new pricing for its subscribers, which sees a range of increases and decreases.
- Published by David Knox
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Foxtel has announced new pricing for its subscribers from March, which sees a range of increases and decreases.
Get Started, currently $45 per month is renamed as Essentials at $47 per month (includes IQ).
Add-on packs Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle and Knowledge & Adventure (renamed Documentary & Adventure), currently $16 per month, drop to $15 per month for one, $20 for two and $25 per month for three.
Movies which were $32 per month drop to $25 per month.
But Sport increases from $16 per month to $25 per month.
Foxtel attributes the changes to part of its merger with Austar, bringing different technology platforms and pricing and packaging in both metropolitan and regional areas, into one single product. It claims the revenue it will receive each month will not change as a result of the new prices.
The last price increase was November 2011.
The new prices take effect from March 1st.
Foxtel has already improved the line up for regional customers by adding new channels (MTV Live and MTV Hits) and increasing the number of channels available in HD (MTV Live HD, Nat Geo HD, Discovery HD, Nat Geo Wild HD).
We are currently investing millions of dollars to upgrade MyStar (regional) personal video recorders (PVRs) so that they have the similar functionality to iQ PVRs. This includes the ability to be connected to the internet and get access to Foxtel’s extensive library of catch up on demand content. The upgrade will be complete later in the year.
In the interim we have launched a limited video on demand movie service which means that every movie package subscriber who has an iQ or MyStar PVR will be able to get up to three recent release movies each week at no additional cost. These can be found in the “On Demand – Featured” section of the Planner for iQ and in the “Featured” section of the Planner for MyStar.
We are currently working on the first truly national PVR, the iQ3, which will combine the best of the iQ and MyStar functionality and add many new features that draw on the best set top box technology from around the world.
In March we will introduce a standardised price and package structure (see attachment) which will create a simple and unified national system. Naturally, as we are aligning different and quite complex pricing structures, there will be some customers who will pay a little more and some who will pay the same or less than they currently do. This will be true for both regional and metropolitan customers.
Approximately twenty five per cent of subscribers will save money, around 25% will experience no change in their price and fewer than 1% will receive an increase of more than $3.05.
The total monthly recurring revenue Foxtel receives from subscribers will not increase as a result of these changes.
A key element of the change is that, in future, iQ and MyStar will become standard equipment for all new packages.
The new packaging is simpler with three, equally priced premium options: Sports, Movies & Premium Drama and General Entertainment (which has a further three themed sub-options). Subscribers can choose to change their package month to month to suit their viewing preferences by calling us on 131 999 or visiting My Account at www.foxtel.com.au.
At the same time we are continually seeking to add value to the product that we offer. Recent improvements have included better content (showcase: the “Home of HBO”, the revamp of SoHo for all subscribers, Express content and London 2012), and better technology and access (Foxtel Go for iPad, soon to be extended to PCs, Mac, iPhone and Android devices). These new channels and services have been added at no additional cost to subscribers.
There is plenty more planned for 2013.
The end game is to have a national company with a single technology platform, and consistent pricing and product offerings. This will take a little more time to achieve, but we are making significant progress towards it.
44 Responses
Just like Craig mentioned first comment. I just got the sport package for 1.5 months. Half mont half price then had to keep for another… But got the packaged to watch the WRC on Speed in HD as couldn’t source it anywhere else and now certainly won’t continue with the subscription for ONE channel!! I don’t want any other sport! I spoke to Foxtel and have told Speed that if I could I’d buy just the 1 channel for the year to follow the sport! Kinda sucks but what can you do! Sport is the most popular package around!
I am at the point now, where its time t turn off Foxtel and go to digital TV. Its not worth the expense, ads and cut down in programming and jacking prices
You can understand when things need to change or a price increase but for sport to jump by that much is a bit rough.
I currently pay $55 per month for Basic + IQ. I’m now wondering why I’m being charged more than what is mentioned above, but hopefully my fees are lowered when the new pricing comes in.
It should go down to $47 per month…
Thanks Josh777 🙂
Unless you want to watch sports ( AFL, NRL etc)
it’s a waste of your money
The changes for Foxtel from Telstra customers are explained here: telstra.com.au/tv/download/document/changes-foxtel-2013.pdf
What about the costs for the multiroom, MyStarHD and HD costs? Do they stay the same or am i going to be slugged even more? I saw the prices for Foxtel are higher and i want to know what is going to happen there.
Foxtel forces everyone to pay for the AFL channel in their sport package. It a dedicated sports channel, so should be a separate price. When Optus had an AFL channel in the mid-90s they had it as a separate charge – and was also available to people that didn’t have the sport package, so if all you wanted was AFL, you didn’t have to buy SA1,SA2,SA3, and ESPN. Foxtel should have the sports pack at $16, AFL channel at $9. Everyone’s happy. AFL fans that don’t care about other sport wouldn’t have to pay for the other sport channels.
one thing that really annoys me is paying for a box twice, I pay for 1 multi-room// which is also an IQ box, so I get charged for both. How is it legal to charge me for something twice???
How can the price increase after the merger? there audience got bigger.
Instead of having shitty channels that show re-runs of the same shows, create a new channel for sitcoms. a new channel for old drama and a new channel for crime dramas (US) ditched Universal and create an Australian channel that shows Aussie programs and movies.
I have had Foxtel a long time an love it but there promotional program’s are getting boring.free installing, six month free they need something different I thought maybe pick your channels min 20 channels $1channel month something different free to pensioners.with all the extra digital channels no one going over all that going to happen down the track long term users going b hit with increases.
@ Cheali – the packages are aligning for Foxtel and Austar subscribers so all channels are in the same packages. Here is the metro package changes ( foxtel.com.au/cms/groups/webcontent/@fox/@corporate/@dotcom/documents/webcontent/p_101914.pdf ) and the regional ( foxtel.com.au/cms/groups/webcontent/@fox/@corporate/@dotcom/documents/webcontent/p_101915.pdf )
@ Earthquake – when you are only interested in one or two leagues than purchasing online rights is definitely the cheaper option. But when you’re an all-round sport fan, watching multiple games from multiple leagues a week, then you would be insane for spending something in the ball park over over $1000 a year on online rights when you can pay the same amount and get most top tier sport games live, plus over 80 other channels to surf for when there is no live sport on.
Does this mean from March we’ll actually get the same packages as Foxtel? I had Austar so now its changed to Foxtel & I’ve looked at the packages for both & their slightly different. Its just Austar with a different name on it so if they’re going to change prices can they at least make it so that everyone gets the same channels in the packages?
I think with the packages my family gets our price wont even change anyway…
That looks like a large jump for the sport :/
Josh777 I’d rather buy the individual sport pass rather than all this other stuff. I’ve done that with NBL and cricket last year and will be hoping to do the same with NRL when they get their streaming rights issues sorted out.
I could see subscribers going off about the Sports pack increasing, and personally I’m not happy about it, but when you look at Foxtel’s sister company Sky U.K. charging over $30AU a month just for Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4, Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports News, than an additional $15AU for ESPN and ESPN America (equivalent of our ESPN2) it makes you feel a bit better seems though we get Fox Sports 1, 2, 3, ESPN, ESPN2, Eurosport, SPEED and Fuel TV for $25. But then you also have to consider the fact that in our basic pack we only get Fox Sports News, Eurosport News, and Sky Racing 1, whereas Sky U.K. offer At The Races, Sky Sports News, Eurosport, Eurosport 2, Trace Sports, ESPN Classic and Extreme Sports (equivalent to our Fuel TV) when subscibing to Entertainment Extra (a $7.50AU extra to the $32AU basic pack). However, for those that then go and compare Foxtel to the U.S. (e.g. DirecTV) and say that they charge $12.50AU for over 30 regional channels and all other major sports channels are in the basic packs (e.g. ESPN), you have to think that over there most leagues have their own broadcasting partner whereas here we have all major leagues shown on one or two networks (e.g. A-League on Fox Sports, NRL on Fox Sports and Nine, etc.) making them more valuable in terms of what they offer compared to those U.S. channels. In sum, $25 a month for sports is reasonable compared to overseas networks.
I hope the new iq will incorporate a free to air tuner like mystar. I’m sure foxtel viewers in SA and WA would like to record free to air
My IQ records free to air in Vic. It’s been a while since I looked into the WA / SA issues.
I’m currently tossing up whether to get Foxtel simply just for NRL. $72/mth for NRL is a bit much when you can get an online NBL pass for $59/season and cricket is $15/summer on iPad/iPhone.
Sport from $16 up to $25?!! That’s criminal
They’ll need to do a better job of selling it because at first reading it looks like basic + sport is now $11 a month more expensive.
With ~80% of subscribers having sport; I’m surprised that less than 1% of subscribers will see a price jump considering the $8 price hike on the sport pack.
How will this affect Foxtel from Telstra subscribers?
Depending on what they do with the Sports Extra package. The price for Setanta could more than double from $8 extra to $17 per month. If thats the case I will not be happy
Surprise surprise, it seems I’m one of the lucky “fewer than 1%”. Essentials + Kids + Sports – which if my sums are correct goes from $77/month to $87/month. I’m a Foxtel subscriber, not Austar so why is my cost changing because of the merger?? Seriously…
So trying to crunch the number (former Austar customer) and mine might go down be $1.
Currently I pay $45 for the basic package, $25 for the 3 options and $28 for movies.
So the basic goes up $2 but the movies comes down $3, as far as I can figure.
I was considering getting the sports back for WRC but at $25 per month so maybe 2 events it’s just not worth it.