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Foxtel ups ante on Optus signing content from six EPL clubs including delayed matches

MUTV_logoFoxtel has signed agreements to carry the official channels and other content of six of the most popular English Premier League clubs, as the pay-TV provider looks to retain customers thinking of jumping ship to rivals Optus.

The official club channels of Chelsea, Liverpool FC and Manchester United will be added to the sports pack, while programming blocks from Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will also be shown on Fox Sports channels. Foxtel estimates 75% of Australian based EPL fans support these six teams.

Importantly it also gives the pay-TV provider delayed access of around 13 hours to matches involving all of those clubs in the Premier League and FA Cup, as well as other content including exclusive interviews and analysis shows. It says a match played at 3pm on Saturday (currently midnight Sunday AEST) would be shown at 1pm AEST that day.

The announcement comes less than 48 hours after Optus, which took the exclusive rights to all EPL matches from Fox Sports in a raid at the end of last year, announced its broadcast plans which would see anyone wanting to access EPL games having to sign up to an Optus broadband or mobile plan, and if worth less than $85-per-month pay a $15 monthly levy. That deal has been derided by many non-Optus subscribing fans. 

Last month Foxtel also announced BeIn Sports, which has rights to the Champions League, Uefa Cup as well as numerous European football leagues and lower-league English matches, will be added to the sports package in mid-May with three additional HD channels, another move designed to keep football fans as subscribers.

Foxtel CEO Tonagh

Foxtel CEO Tonagh

Peter Tonagh, Foxtel CEO, said: “The addition of these dedicated new sports channels is a huge win for English football fans who subscribe to Foxtel. These channels, along with the recently announced BeIn Sports channels, will be compulsory viewing for all fans of international football and will also complement the Fox Sports coverage of the local A-League competition.”

“Our new EPL Club partners are global brands in their own right and have large groups of dedicated supporters in Australia making up more than 75% of the English football fan base here. Our customers will now have access to commentary, analysis, insight and behind the scenes action they’ve never seen before.

“We know how much Australians love sport and these new channels, all available in HD, will make Foxtel an even more compelling proposition and cementing us as the new home of European football.”

The channels also offer access to academy and U21 matches, with some also showing matches from European competitions and pre-season friendlies as well.

The new content deals come into effect from July 1.

Alex Hayes

Sports broadcasting will be one of the topics discussed at Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit on July 28. Click the banned for details.

Sports broadcasting will be one of the topics discussed at Mumbrella's Sports Marketing Summit on July 28. Click the banned for details.

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