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SelecTV ceases English-language Pay TV

SelecTV gives up the Pay TV fight in all but foreign language shows, with customers to be offered Foxtel or Austar alternatives.

WIN Corporation’s pay television service SelecTV will cease to broadcast its English language titles, in a major change for subscription television.

SelecTV, which has around 22,000 English-language subscribers, has operated as a satellite alternative to Foxtel and Austar.

Both Austar and Foxtel have signed an exclusive marketing agreement with SelecTV to ensure the continuity of service and generate new customers.

“Foxtel wants to warmly welcome SelecTV customers to Foxtel,” the company said in a statement.

“We are working with SelecTV to contact relevant SelecTV customers to offer them Foxtel, ensure a continuity of their service and to manage their transition from SelecTV to Foxtel as seamlessly as possible over the next 90 days.”

Austar CEO John Porter said: “AUSTAR wants to ensure that all regional SelecTV customers will have the opportunity to have not only continuous service, but also an improved product offering for a very similar price.

“Every English language service SelecTV customer will receive a letter setting out our offer and explaining what to do to ensure we can assist them to transition smoothly and not lose service. It will be a simple process, we just need to book an appointment to visit their home, repoint their satellite dish and give them a new box.”

The end of SelecTV English language programming follows on from Optus TV ceasing to sell subscription packages.

SelecTV still offers limited programming in Greek and Spanish.

Source: The Australian

25 Responses

  1. Select tv was foxtel it was run by foxtels x managing director in partnership with win a 5 year plan to get more money and then up prices by cancelling service and switching customers to foxtel. this was a business plan that may have work depending on the number of people who transfer to foxtels higher prices. Win get a payment for every customer changing.

  2. G’Day, David.
    I was wondering whetehr you have any news on more changes at SelecTV. You had a story recently about english channels ceasing to broadcast and moving to Foxtel in mid November.

    My parents subscribe to the Greek service where they pay for the Greek channel Antenna (ANT1) and get the free public channel (ERT) in the package. They are currently seeing a message scrolling at the bottom of the screen on Antenna broadcasts advising that this is a free sample broadcast and viewers can subscribe to the MySat service which includes ANT1, the free ERT and a music channel called BLUE for $29.95 per month at their website worldmedia.com.au.

    It seems odd that SelecTV would advertise a rivals service unless there are plans to cease brooadcasting or there is something shonky going on. My parents are concerned about their service being cut off, especially since they have recently needed to purchase a new set top box to continue receiving the SelecTV service. Do you have any further info or can you use your contacts to find out if there are any more changes planned at SelecTV?

  3. Mick could you please point out the legislation i have read through the broadcasting act and couldnt find anything.
    Also what else is the selectv set top box good for what else could i use it for or is it destined for the bin?

  4. I might get over to Foxtel only if they will allow me to use my own equipment and select the channels that I want to watch and most important no contract …

  5. Mick, can you point out that legislation?

    I want to make a point of this as i’ve splashed out on equipment. This is as stupid as making a mobile network only the provider’s branded phone will work on.

    The ACCC should get involved. This merger shouldn’t have been allowed to happen for competition, and what about the industry for private satellite installers, sellers of boxes etc, obviously no one is protecting their market.

  6. This is crap. When Tel$tra/Foxtel sends this letter to me, will they be offering it with no subscription and Irdeto 2. I installed my own setup at home for Selectv, with 2 boxes, and a coaxial splitter, where I can remove the card from one, and watch it in the other room (one room at a time). I have forked out for better quality equipment than Foxtel use, will I still be able to use mine, cause they use some Nigravision thing don’t they?

    This is crap, I set up my own setup, after what some idiots have done to my roof years ago, I don’t want anyone but me on my roof, let alone some clueless idiot from Tel$tra. I have nothing to do with Tel$tra to the extent I don’t have a landline because of what those idiots have done to me. We need some competition, I dont want to be throwing money to Hellstra again.

    I loved Selectv, now I really am pi**ed off, after paying for my boxes and dish etc and installing them myself.elstra (though I wish they offered FetchTV).

  7. for all of you that have lost select english service and have to switch over to foxtel it might interest you to know that foxtel/austar cannot legally make you use their set top boxes.
    according to the broadcasting services act subscription television providers must provide domestic rental reception equipment As An Option. Domestic rental reception equipment must also be able to be used by other providers. IMHO p*xstar/f*xtel have been breaking the law for a long time. Fight back…. know your law and demand to be able to use your own equipment.

  8. Totally pi**ed off.

    I just bought a mediastar 9100 HDX and selectv pull the pin on me. And now I find out that Austar won’t let me use my new mediastar box. This really sucks. F*** Austar F*** Selectv, they can jam their paytv up there a**e.

  9. No surprises there. Select tv had 20,000 customers, hardly what i would call a serious competitor to Foxtel so i can’t see it making any difference in the short or medium term to foxtel’s packaging or pricing. Foxtel are struggling anyway and there research shows that people want foxtel, but just not at the moment so putting prices up isn’t going to help people take it up and will likely increase cancellations. There is more competition coming in future through iptv.

    Key thing for many subscribers is what happens with the sports rights for the AFL and the NRL over the next couple of years. If fox sports lost the rights to the NRL, i would cancel Foxtel tommorrow and i’m sure many others would.

  10. No-one saw this coming because WIN Corp are a private company & not part of an ASX listing like Foxtel & Austar, where they tell the market what’s happening.

  11. Thats fudged i need a new foxtel box what crap, so i can’t use my new mediastar box, thanks a lot select. What kind of deal do we get, do you know David?

  12. I’d love for the new Fed government to legislate for a separation of Foxtel’s wholesale and retail arms. Only then will there be true competition in pay, and allow new players to pick and choose from Foxtel’s warehoused channels.

  13. @ Johnson

    Pay Tv have a pretty tough time selling packages – there is no way known they could increase prices and still maintain its customer base.

  14. Well it was a matter of time but I’d like to congratulate SelecTV with the work they have done providing an alternative to the other Pay TV companies. I was going to go with SelecTV a little while ago but now I am with Foxtel, the basic package.

    Does anyone know how the pricing aspect with SelecTV subscribers will go when they join to Foxtel and Austar? Wonder what people will do, if they will continue or not, i’m not sure on what the latest price for subscribing to SelecTV….

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