Foxtel channel upgrades come at a price
Foxtel’s big switch-on of new TV entertainment services has coincided with increases in subscription prices varying from just under 4% to more than 10%.
This weekend saw the arrival of a string of new channels including LifeStyle You, the Style Network, Starpics, ad-free children’s channel KidsCo, new movie channels and new HD services. Sky News has also switched on its metro channels.
The digital basic monthly subscription price has risen from $56 to $58 – an increase of 3.6%.
The movies deluxe package has increased from $29 to $32 – an increase of 10.3%.
Among Foxtel’s “My” packages, the get started option has risen from $40 to $42 – an increase of 5%. At the premium end, the platinum HD package has gone up from $131 to $135 – an increase of 3.1%.
The heftiest increase comes for those who subscribed either to the HD Sport or HD Explore for $10 who will be moved onto a full HD package priced at $16 – an increase of 60%.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large. He returned to Mumbrella as Publisher in January 2025
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So much American crap.
So many ads.
As soon as web TV matures a bit I’ll be ditching Australia’s absolutely awful PayTV networks forever.
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smithee – i hope you’re ready for equal amounts of ‘american crap’ and ads when webTV improves too.
cos you know, tv requires advertising to pay bills and stuff. and american crap is generally the majority of programming due to these reasons.
even if the distro method changes these 2 elements probably won’t.
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@Larry
You’re making some huge assumptions there.
I’d be very happy to pay to download individual programs, queue them up, have some suggested programs queued based on entered preferences etc etc. More European and UK content, bit of Japanese etc
Maybe you’re also not aware of premium cable” services overseas where you pay extra to have no ads ? Meanwhile Australia has the highest permitted ratio of ads-to-programs in the *world*.
Our cable services are absolutely woeful and you’ll be hearing lots of piggy-squealing noises once they have to face some real competition.
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I was checking out the HD channels this evening and the picture was terrible – constantly breaking up (which also affects sound) – anyone else experiencing this?
If that’s what HD is like there’s no way I would pay for it.
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Just got back from a week away from Foxtel. Didn’t miss it one bit but thought I’d select something from my ‘Premium Subscription’ to close the week off last night.
Was besieged with channels and channels of crap. Looks like they’ve just managed to spread things thinner and repeat them more often.
I’ll be disconnecting tonight, head down to the local library and spend my +$100 a month on two cases of James Boags. Hey – and 25 November ‘The Hangover’ is available on DVD – that should provide plenty of entertainment on the rainy days.
(I love James Boags Premium and ‘The Hangover’ but don’t have any other connection with them)
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I see little difference, aside from a $3 a month drop and free access to all the extra crap for a couple of weeks. As soon as I can find somewhere to get the footy w/o needing foxtel, its gone and my $83 per month will be better invested…I think
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I have to say that I am absolutely thrilled by the new Foxtel channels. Definitely the best purchase that I have made in 2009, although my Geox loafers are a close second – essential in the Melbourne heat.
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I think Foxtel is great , but was a bit disappointed to see the line up of channels when they kicked in over the weekend.
I view pay TV as providing many channels targeted towards small but specific niche audiences. Unfortunately, most of the new channels seem to be targeted towards middle age, female skew viewers… who like American TV. It would be great to see some more ethnic diversity on Foxtel in terms of programming.
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I think you will find that the prices have actually gone up Gavin. I too received an email from foxtel before the 15th November informing me that we will receive all these extra channels on the same plan for $3 less per month! Upon paying the October invoice noticed the drawing from automatic debit was actually $3 more. After many enquiries being pushed from department to department for over an hour, I was eventually told that the email was infact an error and it should have said increase instead of decrease! What a joke! Only foxtel can ge away with this crap! It sucks and once my contract is up next month I will be d/c from this woeful no signal service!
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Hey Trudi!
Well I should not be surprised as the creator of #fuckyoufoxtel hashtag on twitter and my recent experiences, which, can read on my blog.
They really are a poor excuse for a Customer focused company. As I’ve just written elsewhere, to be published, they only survive due to the lack of competition because of their absolute focus on their $ rather than our value. Ah well, the days of reckoning fast approach!
Gavin
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