Warnings Telstra’s move into video streaming could create a low-cost rival to Foxtel
The Roku2 which Telstra is set to use to launch its service
Telstra’s decision to ditch its T-Box offering in favour of a new streaming device to rival Apple TV has led to warnings it could erode its part-owned pay-TV service Foxtel’s customer base.
This morning the telco announced it is partnering with tech company Roku to launch Telstra TV, a streaming service offering customers easier access to services like Netflix, Stan and Presto (which Telstra has a stake in through its 50 per cent ownership of Foxtel), and stop offering its popular T-Box product to new customers.
There have been suggestions the service may also support a weekly “sports pass” that would give consumers access to a selected sports channel, such as Fox Sports, leading media buyers to question what Telstra’s intentions are in the sports rights market.
Playing catch-up to FetchTV?
Well… they are all doomed without sports rights. Look at the UK. He who hold sports holds market share.
another nail in the coffin of broadcast. broadcast is simply a distribution throttling mechanism. the internet kills that by enabling unlimited distribution and these boxes make the internet easy to use. then the content owners who no longer rely on network for distribution and will disintermediate the networks by going direct to the boxes/customers once the price networks can pay falls below a threshold (and it falls becase less audience is less ads is less money etc).
9/10/7 et all your Kodak moment is near.