Austar fails to reach deal on SPEED
Bad news for motorsports fans with Austar telling subscribers it can't reach a deal with Premier Media Group.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under Subscription
Austar has today advised its subscribers it will not be adding SPEED to its channel packages:
Unfortunately following protracted negotiations, we have been unable to reach an agreement with the Premier Media Group regarding SPEED and as such we have no plans to launch the channel. It’s a decision we haven’t taken lightly. We will consider any new proposal presented by Premier Media Group, and have not ruled the channel out for the future.
We acknowledge your passion for motorsport and if there are any developments in the future, we’ll be sure to let you know.
We hope that you are able to continue to enjoy your AUSTAR and the variety of sports and motor sports available on Fox Sports, ESPN, Fuel and Eurosport.
Motorsports fans have been awaiting a decision on the channel since it joined the Foxtel platform on November 1st. Some have taken to social media to vent their frustration on not having the channel available.
Premier Media was unable to comment.
30 Responses
How exactly am I wrong? Where have I said there is no demand for a horror channel?
Neither Foxtel or Austar have horror channel, therefore this is a Diferent Situation to what’s going on with Speed as Foxtel have it and Austar do not.
Oh, and the article, ‘Austar fails to reach deal on SPEED’, that these comments are related to is about Speed, there is nothing in the article about a horror channel.
Bill and the rest of you Speedhead get it thu your heads once and for all Not-everyone-cares-about-SPEED. Austar or Foxtel could very easily put in a bid for Showtime to get a horror channel plus I have contacted Showtime directly and they said this and I quote “There has been a popular demand for a sci fi and horror channel since November 1st 2010 so we will put your request to programming and see what happends”
So you are Wrong. There is a demand for a service like this so no doubt people who have asked are worse off for the service.
Thank you.
It’s nothing like Speed, neither Austar or Foxtel has a horror channel so no group of subscribers is worse off, it’s only Austar that doesn’t have Speed
That depends on if I want to keep Austar Bill. Horror fans like Speed fans are short changed.
It has Everything to do with Austar Bil las Austar and Foxtel Do not have a horror channel and despite my best efforts to get one it appears nobody gives a rats if we get it or not. My argument is the exact same as Speed here.
I do am unhappy with Austar, There is a guy on FB that is organising a mass cancelling of services, He wants over a 1000 people to cancel at the same time. I will post his details on FB. I just got off the phone with Austar and they have no plans to put speed on at this time. Please leave a message on my facebook if you would like to join the Mass X of Screwstar??? Regards from Paul Shaddix
What does the ‘Horror Channel’ have to do with the price of fish???
If Austar doesnt accept Horror Channel from Sky in the UK its bye bye Austar. I dont ask fr much yet you wont tell me either Yes or No on this channel and my patience is wearing Very thin. I want an answer to this no more “ohhh we have no plans for a channel like that” that not a clear answer Austar.
NBN people that gets rolled out and bye bye austar you run foxtel down that thing and its good bye austar
To David Knox. would you like to check the following out
smh.com.au/business/foxtel-cash-sitting-pretty-20100211-nv5w.html
To David Knox.
Speed Cafe, yesterday stated we should be getting the Speed Channel soon.
Can you throw any light on this statement. Are negotiations back in the pipe line?
This – Michael Quinn says: Same crap. Different channel. Costs more. Cant get it.
Same thing happened when they added more movie channels and turbo last year. American Chopper about 15 times a day over three channels, more ads and shows starting late if you want to pay for it.
Finished up with Austar late January and while I admit I still have withdrawal symptoms – some shows were fantastic – Austar was poor, their equipment was poor and customer service was infuriating.
Austar, as has been said so many times before – isFoxtel’s poor country cousin.
I have been a subcriber to Austar and Foxtel since pay tv started in 1995. All I can say is that I feel I am being ripped off, the programmes are woeful! I have a Mystar HD box and of late I am watching more of the Free to Air digital channels than Austar. If they weren’t giving me the Movie Network for free for the next 2 weeks I would be giving them the necessary months notice. Take notice I priced a PVR to-day for $480.00. with everything I want, so next month it is good bye to Austar.
by the looks the people in the bush miss out yet again
i hope all the people that got the speed channel enjoy there motor sports on the speed channel as the people won’t be getting it
What we need is some competition in rural Australia for Pay TV. and the sooner the better. Foxtel needs to break this so called “gentleman’s agreement”
My sub ended yesterday, hello Foxtel and Speed!!
@ Knowfirst – couldnt agree more! They need to put us first and realise if they dont get their act together that they will go bankrupt, no if’s or but’s about it. There is no reason why in this economic downturn why people will continue to pay a fair share of their pay cheque for a service that isnt that much better than what is offere by Freeview. There is more motorsports on ONE HD than there is on any of the sports channels on Austar so no one will subscribe for that, and more popular and current shows are shown on the FTA networks than on pay TV channels (with what shows are on pay being a large majority already shown on FTA). Austar need to realise they have no chance in hell of continuing to get an increase in subscribers and a large annual profit if they continue this sort of business practice.
you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or brain surgeon to work on that in this multimedia day and age, with 17 freeview channels available, that Austar should be *super servicing* their customers not super-serving their Texan foot up our clackers for our loyalty.
How do you beat your competitors in a fractured marketplace? By servicing them better… not lessening the product and increasing the prices.
Just pathetic… I’ve been with them now for almost 15 years, at always the works package. Now I’ve simply gone down to one box and the sports add-on (for the AFL, NRL, Super 15, baseball)… if it wasn’t for the sports being in HD I would be switching the whole thing off.
Just get a friend in Metro area to install satellite. Share the bill with two boxes
He takes one and you take one!
But is it really that shocking, Discovery HD World and Nat Geo HD have been on the air for three years and still they are not on Austar!! The channels and features that are not offered are continuing to add up and soon enough, Austar is going to be in that deep of a whole the only choice their going ot have is to claim bankruptcy – simple as that. Cause with more and more channels and features not being offered, subcribers arent going to put up with it and its that simple. The way to operate a business in the 21st century is to find out what the customer wants and than giving it to them – simple. What customers want in pay TV is to have the same access to channels and features as the competition, not that much to ask for now is it. If the CEO’s would all take pay cuts than we wouldnt be in this problem, seems though a pay cut for Mr Porter alone would cover the cost of multiple channels seems though he made over $5 million last year alone!
What motorsport on FoxSports? It’s all been ripped off and put on SPEED. Same as they did with all the SciFi / Trek stuff on TV1 when SciFi launched.
Same crap. Different channel. Costs more. Cant get it.
Cancelled the sports package today and returning my 2nd box
That’s bad news for Austar motorsport fans (I’m not one of them), but hey at least Austar will launch ESPN2 March 1, & hopefully one day they will also fix up the mystar box so it won’t have anymore problems but I will not hold my breath on that one since the mystar SD box has been out for more than 3 years now.
Just let Foxtel cover Austar areas. Problem solved and I can say goodbye to Austar’s second rate Pay TV service.
Austar suck so much they removed their wall on facebook and have all the negative feedback hidden in their discussions board. And they never answer any questions.
Took one of my boxes back to the post office this morning only to have to get in line and wait behind two other people doing the same thing (and this was at a fairly small town).
Austar just do not have a clue.