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Audience Inventory 2013: Pay TV results

If Foxtel is hoping to lift its subscriber numbers it will need to offer more flexible packaging options, according to readers.

fplIf Foxtel is hoping to lift its subscriber numbers it will need to offer more flexible packaging options, and even then the potential for new customers is modest.

That’s the message from readers in TV Tonight‘s Audience Inventory survey.

Now in its 5th year, there were more than 1200 completed surveys this year on questions concerning Free to Air and Pay TV issues.

Audience Inventory: Free to Air Results

While 38% of readers indicated they are current subscribers, 58% said they are not.

Only 7% indicated they were likely to subscribe in the next 12 months, while 4% were undecided.

Just 2% of readers indicated they might be lured to Foxtel Play, the new internet-based subscriber service designed to attract new customers, at current prices.

The biggest issues concerning subscribers was “More flexible packaging options,” “Adding all FTA digital channels for all customers” and “Fast-tracking / Express from the US.”

FOX8 remains the most popular channel amongst subscribers.

Foxtel got good results from readers regarding their Reliability for starting on time and their Trustworthiness. The Foxtel EPG and IQ are both popular features (refer to Free to Air results).

* denotes multiple answers allowed

Do you subscribe to Pay TV?
No 58%
Foxtel metro subscriber (cable) 16%
Foxtel metro subscriber (satellite) 13%
Foxtel regional subscriber (satellite) 7%
Foxtel (other device) 2%
Other 2%
Foxtel regional subscriber (cable) 1%

Which Pay TV channels do you watch regularly? *
Don’t have Pay TV 58%
FOX8 26%
FOX Sports 18%
Showcase 15%
LifeStyle 15%
SoHo 13%
FOX Footy 13%
Comedy 12%
Premiere 11%
FX 11%
Arena 11%
SKY News 11%
TV1 10%
Discovery 10%
UKTV 10%
Nat Geo 10%
A&E 9%
111 Hits 8%
LifeStyle YOU 8%
Other 8%
Channel [V] 8%
E! 7%
History 7%
SF 7%
MAX 6%
Crime & Investigation 5%
MTV 4%
Comedy (Movies) 4%
Universal 4%
Masterpiece 4%
Bio 4%
Disney 3%
Nickelodeon 3%
CNN 3%
World Movies 3%
Family Movies 3%
BBC World News 3%
13TH Street 3%
STUDIO 3%
SPEED 3%
Cartoon 2%

Which Pay TV Package do you subscribe to? *
Don’t have Pay TV 58%
Foxtel: Essentials 26%
Foxtel: Sports 21%
Foxtel: Drama & Lifestyle 20%
Foxtel: Documentary & Adventure 18%
Foxtel: HD 16%
Foxtel: Movies & Premium Drama 16%
Foxtel: Kids and Music 14%
Other 5%

How likely are you to become a new Foxtel subscriber in the next 12 months?
Not likely to subscribe 50%
Already a subscriber 38%
Unsure 4%
Likely to become a Foxtel Play subscriber with cheaper / more flexible packages 3%
Likely to become a full subscriber with cheaper / more flexible packages 2%
Likely to become a Foxtel Play (internet) subscriber 2%
Other 1%
Likely to become a full subscriber 0%

Rate any or all of the Pay TV FTA issues
VERY IMPORTANT:
More flexible packaging options
Adding all FTA digital channels for all customers
Fast-tracking / Express from the US
Less ads
Aligning all FTA channels on the EPG Menu
More competition in providers

NO OPINION
Foxtel Go available on all Android devices
Upgrading IQ
More package choices for Foxtel Play
Improving customer service
Picking up shows dumped by FTA broadcasters
Adding new channels
More HD channels
More Aussie content
Maintaining innovative features ie. Remote record, 3D, Downloading
Keeping shows on the channel they launch on

Meanwhile 88% rated TV Tonight website Excellent or Very Good while less than 1% voted it Disappointing. 69% of readers visited the site Once a Day or more.

NB: Percentage shares have been rounded.

10 Responses

  1. Pay tv is just too expensive for what it offers .to be. Worthwhile one would need the top line package to have any decent programming to view. And that is just to expensive at the moment . I would be interested n fox tel play on line but my Internet is too slow and the data usage would make that too expensive as well. We can only get wireless in our area and that is too slow the down load speeds .so FTA tv it is. The NBN would have been good for foxtel online but now tony Abbott will get rid of that as well.

  2. It is interesting to me as well, that I have friends that have Foxtel, however whenever we go through their recorded shows it is invariably the FTA shows that predominate.

  3. @timothyd – of course they are “poorly grouped”…

    For the consumer at least. But brilliantly grouped for Foxtel. By grouping such fares together, people who would obviously want linked content are forced to go without or purchase more packages, hence giving Foxtel more money. i.e., they rip people off.

    Which is why I, for one, will never purchase Foxtel under this current strategy.

    I concur that the “Essentials” package isn’t 😉

  4. At least half of the channels Foxtel claim to be “Essentials” I would never watch or want to have even if they were free. The remainder of the entertainment packs are poorly grouped. Such as Kids & Music. Sure, I want music, but I have no need for childrens channels which I would not watch. Comedy Channel sits in this pack, and it is neither kids or music, nor should it be part of ‘Drama and LifeStyle’ pack which is also resides under.

  5. @Pertinax
    Once you get to 50 and your eyesight starts to decline you will realise that you can’t tell the difference between HD and SD anyway.
    ======================
    hmm that’s to me seems why you should have HD? I’m in my mid 60’s and I CAN definitely see the difference maybe you need a better display!! 😉

  6. HD has never been a driver of what people watch and only technophiles consider it essential.

    Once you get to 50 and your eyesight starts to decline you will realise that you can’t tell the difference between HD and SD anyway.

    Most people will upgrade when HD becomes the default and SD is phased out. Our household figures that we are paying Foxtel a lot of money already and SD is fine for watching TV dramas.

  7. @ Jordan, I have to say I too am surprised by the amount of “no opinions”. I know that when I filled out the survey – Picking up shows dumped by FTA broadcasters, Adding new channels and More Aussie content were my most important issues.

    Maybe I was the only one, that thought these were of top priority, so they didn’t really register a percentage or the survey never registered when I completed it.

    Either way I couldn’t be fussed about adding FTA or Aligning FTA channels in the EPG.

    1. Obviously there were some who voted them important / unimportant but “No opinion” was the highest result for each of those detailed above. I’m giving you a summary rather than every vote for every question.

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