Foxtel: New pricing and packages
New subscribers are asked to either "Build Your Own" packages, or to opt in to one of Foxtel's ready-made iQ packs.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Subscription
Foxtel’s revised pricing asks new subscribers to either “Build Your Own” packages around its themed offerings, or to opt in to one of its ready-made iQ packs with either iQ or iQ2.
In doing so it has renamed its Add-On packages as well as eliminated some discounts that were available where subscribers opted for more than one. All are now a stand-alone $16.
New subscribers to the iQ packs get an iQ or iQ2 included as part of their plan.
BUILD YOUR OWN
Get Started $42 up $2
As before but adds Sky News Local, Lifestyle You
Add-On Packages:
*Kids & Music (formerly My Playtime) $16
Adds [V] Hits, Nat Geo Wild, Kids Co (no more [V]2)
*Drama & Lifestyle (formerly My Escape) $16
Adds The Style Channel, 13 Street
*Knowledge & Adventure (formerly My World) $16
Adds Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, Turbo Max
Sports (formerly My Sport) $16
Adds Eurosport
*Movie Network (formerly My Movie Network) $16
Adds Movie Two, FMC, Starpics 1, Starpics 2
*Showtime Movies (formerly My Showtime) $16
Adds Showtime Premiere, Showtime Two, Showcase 1, Showcase 2, Showtime Action, Showtime Comedy, Showtime Drama, (No more Showtime).
**HD $16 up $1
Adds HD channels for FOX8, Movie One, Starpics 1, Starpics 2, UKTV, W, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Showtime Premiere, Showcase, Showcase Action (No more Fox Sports, BBC).
Subscribers to the HD package get high definition versions of the channels they already subscribe to in SD, meaning you can’t by-pass other packages to get HD.
* No longer available at a discount with additional packages (ie My Complete Movies $29).
** No longer available as separate HD packages @ $10 each.
Foxtel iQ $10 per month ($100 upgrade)
Foxtel iQ2 with HD $10 per month ($200 upgrade)
iQ PACKS
These packages include either a free iQ or iQ2 to new subscribers.
Family iQ $72
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, IQ
Sports iQ $88
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, Sports, IQ
Movies iQ $88
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, 1 Movie Pack, IQ
Gold iQ $100
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, Sports, 1 Movie Pack, IQ
HD iQ $116
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, Sports, 1 Movie Pack, HD, IQ2
Platinum iQ $120 up $14
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, Sports, Movie Network, Showtime Movies, 2 Box Office Movies, Foxtel Magazine, IQ
HD iQ $135 up $4
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, Sports, Movie Network, Showtime Movies, 2 Box Office Movies, Foxtel Magazine, HD, IQ2
All channels include timeshift channels where applicable.
All subscribers access free Foxtel Download service.
Some conditions apply, for more information on iQ Value Packs, visit www.foxtel.com.au/nextgeneration
40 Responses
My understanding is you get it automatically.
Looking closer at Foxtel wording it seems the price increases are imposed to the majority of customers. You can “stay on your current package” but it comes with a price increase. A bit sneaky in its wording really.
Hi David, just to clarify, was that a Yes for getting it automatically or having to pay extra for it?
Hi David, do you know if you already have the sports package,do you get eurosport automatically?
Yes u will.
HI David, I was wondering if you already have the sports package, will you automatically get eurosport or do you have to pay extra for it?
Timeshift channels are *awesome* for when there are too many good shows on at once, and the IQ2 can only handle 2 recordings at once. eg tonight at 7.30 if i want to record Hey Hey and Celebrity Masterchef, but also Jay Leno on Comedy, then I can record all 3 by setting the IQ2 to record the 9.30 broadcast of Jay Leno on Comedy+2. The +2 channels can be an absolute godsend, particularly if they show is not given multiple repeats throughout the week. If not for the +2, I would have to choose a show to not record or stay home and have to watch one live. But I rarely if ever watch live TV anymore – hence IQ2 + timeshift channels=TV Heaven.
Im dreaming here, but wouldn’t it be great if they’d just charge us for each channel we want, with a minimum charge of say $50.Have a bunch of channels for $2 each, another bunch for $3 each ect ect, then we can just pick the channels we want that add up to at least $50 and be done with it. I have the ‘get started’ and ‘my sport’ packs, which cost $56 a month, but have never watched more then half the channels which come in the get started pack!
If their mission is to ensure all subscribers have an iQ, why do we still need timeshift channels? If you want to watch something 2 hours after it airs, record it on the iQ and watch it 2hours later if thats the problem!
My Son (9) and i were watching channel 10 today, when a foxtel from telstra ad was shown, after the ad finished he asked me “why is foxtel so expensive.”
i think that sums it up.
@craig – I spat the dummy yesterday here about much the same thing, hence fully support your comments.
David you are a very patient man, and you have done a great job when it comes to your responses to these questions. I would give anything to see your reaction and/or body language though when reading some of this stuff 🙂 The bonus’s of being able to hide behind a screen.
Let’s hope Foxtel reward you well for all your efforts.
Family iQ $72
Get Started, Kids & Music, Drama & Lifestyle, Knowledge & Adventure, IQ
So currently I get these 3 packages (but not the IQ) for appox $65 per month – the price goes up to $72 (with an IQ) but $42 + (3 x $16) = $90 so there’s some sort of discount still happening. It’s more like I’ll be forced to pay an extra $7 a month for IQ
Assuming you are happy to pay the $100 IQ upgrade too. Note these prices are for new subscribers.
Kids & Music added. Weird I recall writing it yesterday….
geez people, this is a tv blog, not the Foxtel information centre…check their website or ring their call centre if you want further information, you cant expect David to research every single variation of Foxtels packages and provide you with exact costings…thanks for all the info though David, great job, as always.
There is no mention of the Kids & Music package in the “Build Your Own” section? Can you confirm this is $16 also? Any new channels here as well?
Still too much junk in the basic package. I would happily spring for the sports and drama packages if I didn’t have to pay for a pile of unwanted channels to start with.
I would like to see more finer details of the packages for existing subscribers. I stuffed up what I said before. My current setup is an IQ2 and two IQ1s. That is $121 for Platinum HD, $10 IQ2 fee and $30 of discounted multi-room fees. A total of $161 per month. I simply wish to know how much more I have to pay to get the extra SD and HD channels. I think it still means a $4 increase to $165 a month, but having to ring up Foxtel to do that is a pain. Should be automatic as long as they send out a letter letting you know that they plan to do this.
These plans are for new subscribers from Oct 1. Existing customers can stay on their current plan, or if they alter their plans they move to new prices. Not sure a “free iQ” is even on offer for existing subscribers even if they move to new plans. Will need to check.
So does that mean if you have an existing package you need to do something and you get a free iQ This time around?
Existing subscribers will not have a price increase if they stay on their current plan. plan. For example if you are subcribed to the Platinum HD package at $131 the $4 price increase will not be applied.
The new charges will only be applicable if existing subscribers change their plan or change address.
Details can be seen on the Telstra website. Foxtel sales reps have also confirmed this information over the phone.
Foxtel is a rip off. Think I might simply unsubscribe. Im over paying to watch ads (seems to get worse by the year) and besides Fox Sports and the news channels, the Foxtel platform ads little value to my TV needs.
If Fox Sports was on SelecTV I would get that, but for some reason you can only get it on Foxtel. Basically Foxtel/Fox Sports is a monopoly and anti-competitive, but obviously they seem to get away with it thanks to the Murdoch and pals influence.
Good deal for me. I currently have the HD Complete package, which is $131, so a $4 increase for all those new HD and SD channels is justified in my opinion. I just can’t wait for Channel Seven to come onto my foxtel box (i’m on satellite and i’m sick of having to use the VCR to record Channel Seven while all my other programs are on the IQ). November 15 is going to be a big day in my household!
This is the reason Foxtel should lose the content monopoly. Other operators have to get sub-par channels, when they should have the right to access the Foxtel database.
Pay television would become cheaper, and competition would be encouraged.
PVR’s are the future, but it’s the MyStar model, that the industry should follow, where retransmission agreements are a unneeded business expense, with the access to the terrestrial transmissions. Foxtel’s subscriber base may grow if they developed a iQ (iQ3?) based on the MyStar architecture, to eliminate the need for Foxtel to sign retransmission agreements with networks, and Foxtel can provide more channels for viewers.
@bazza, there is no chance in hell foxtel will be removing advertising,people complain about this often enough, but if it wasn’t for advertising(kind of like how cinemas run ads before the main feature- no ads before film begins= much higher ticket prices), the subscriptions would be much higher than they would be- the ads help the lowering of the costs.
Still too expensive. When they let me buy channels at a time, or packs of channels for under $15 base price, I’ll toy with the idea of cable again. Oh and they’ll have to remove the advertising too, they don’t get paid twice for the one lot of content.
I’m on basic plus IQ2, so currently pay $50 a month. But having UKTV, W and Fox8 on HD is enticing, meaning at the very least I have to pay an additional $16 for the package W and UKTV are in (Drama & Lifestyle), plus the $42 for basic, plus $10 for IQ2, plus $16 for HD, adding up to $84 already. For another $16 I get all the channels of Kids & Music plus Knowledge & Adventure, plus the Showtime suite of channels, and also the various Showtime channels that are in HD. At $100 for all that a month, I’m sold! Goodbye cinemas!
Could they make it anymore complicated?
Any word on new Austar packages?
I think where you mention “no more Showtime” and “no more Fox Sports, BBC” they’re just being renamed… Showtime becomes Showtime Premiere, Fox Sports HD becomes Fox Sports 1 HD and BBC becomes UKTV HD.
It also looks like Showtime Greats is being replaced with the Showtime Action/Comedy/Drama trio.
At least… that’s what I’ve been inferring from the information put on Foxtel’s website.
I have to say though, that I’m a little disappointed in the dramatic increase of $14 for Platinum iQ (it’s a big increase compared to the increases in the other packages). I can understand why the increase, just disappointed that it’s *that* much of an increase…
~Jason
Jason, yes that’s correct.