Why Telstra TV will eat Foxtel
While Telstra insists the idea behind its new Telstra TV service is to grow the pay-TV market Alex Hayes argues it will actually have the opposite effect.
When Telstra announced it was launching a service earlier this year questions were raised as to whether it would cannibalise Foxtel’s pay-TV service. After seeing it last night I can’t help but feel it will.
The product itself is essentially a rival to Apple TV, bringing together a bunch of apps (15 at this stage) including its own pay per view Big Pond movies, subscription video streaming services Foxtel and Netflix and TV catch up services 9Jumpin, Plus7 and SBS On Demand. Stan, TenPlay and ABC iView should all be making their way onto the platform by the end of the year.
And in previews at the Telstra Customer Insight Centre it looked very slick and worked efficiently, while the box itself is also fairly aesthetically pleasing.
I also am questioning the expensive Foxtel service when who has time to watch so much to TV to make it viable. All I want is the cricket and a few old films and the cooking shows. But haven’t time to find a good mix of these somewhere else.
Totally agree with your position here Alex. I’m a Telstra customer and there’s no way I’ll pay for this box when my internet connected smart TV gives me the AVOD catch up services, Netflix and other streaming services directly without a box. Now, if I could get Play directly on my smart TV with some of Foxtel’s sport and HBO… I’d pay for that.
Another Telstra announcement that isn’t groundbreaking. After all the attempts at doing TV, they’re still operating with the mindset that people want their entire digital life controlled through Telstra. They don’t.
Roku is an excellent device. But they could have at least bought the 4K Roku box to market, not a 3-year old one.
But the biggest loser here is Foxtel. And that’s a good thing.
I’m a Telstra broadband customer and would buy this if I could get BBC First and UKTV from Foxtel on it. I don’t know why Foxtel doesn’t sell individual channels rather than packaging all the rubbish first and then charge more for anything decent. This Telstra box could be just what Foxtel needs if you can subscribe to individual channels through it.
The $49 chrome cast changed how I interact and watch tv. Netflix app on iPhone and video cast app means I can watch all catchup and stream at anytime.
I just need my Telstra broadband to be more reliable.