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Foxtel says it is open to ‘partner’ with Optus as it moves to calm Facebook furore over EPL loss

Foxtel has moved to assuage furious fans who have beseiged its Facebook page by telling them it is willing to talk to Optus about buying back the rights to the English Premier League.

Foxtel has copped a hammering from football fans who say the loss of the EPL means they now have little reason to subscribe to the Pay TV service.
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But in response to one of them a spokesman replied: “All  we can say at this stage (because this has only just happened) is that in coming months we’ll we’ll review all options. We don’t know how Optus plans to broadcast the EPL and we’d be happy to talk to them about whether there is an opportunity for us to partner with them in some way.”

Optus shocked the telco and broadcasting industries yesterday with the revelation it had outbid Fox Sports for the rights to the EPL from August 2016.

The league has been an important marketing tool for Foxtel as it fights the rise of IPTV players in the Australian market.

Optus CEO Allen Lew told Mumbrella the decision to chase the EPL rights was the company’s boldest statement about its intentions to become known as a content platform, but he had not ruled out on-selling part of the rights to another broadcaster.

Simon Canning

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