Foxtel Sports aka Kayo

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Interesting article in todays's Fairfax papers.

Shows what many of us have often thought about the traditional Foxtel's chances of long term success. Limited discussion of the canibalisation factor but one has to ask if say 40% of existing Foxtel customers were to move exclusively to Kayo what would happen to the Foxtel model and on what platform would the likes of HBO and AMC find exposure.

I think the comment on pricing is simplistic as it ignores the ease with which streaming accounts can be shared between friends and family. The set top box delivery model precluded sharing and of course it charged you more even to watch on a second television.

The big negative as I see it is the delivery method ie not directly to the TV screen. This may put off a lot of people at first but as word gets around about the ease of use of google's chromecast etc that sense of technology fear may be reduced.

Big changes perhaps.

" There is a near complete absence of the term Foxtel or Fox Sports anywhere in the user interface.

Foxtel would not be the first Australian company to pursue a two-brands strategy (Qantas did it with Jetstar to great effect) but the move suggests the Foxtel brand is toxic with sections of the new product's target audience."

"Less encouraging is the pricing. At $25 a month, KayoSports is at the upper end of what analysts expected it to cost.

At that price point, the risk of cannibalisation of Foxtel's existing service, delivered over satellite, will be significantly diminished. Whether it appeals to enough new customers, though, is the bigger question."

 

https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/we-re-about-to-enter-a-decisive-chapter-in-australia-s-streaming-wars-20181123-p50hxr.html

Edited November 25, 2018 by Diamond_Jim

[inanunda 351]

On 11/25/2018 at 10:44 AM, Diamond_Jim said:

Thanks inandunda

what is your normal internet download speed if I may ask

cheers

I have a NBN 50mbs connection with TPG.  Even with the kids running youtube 24/4 on two ipads I still get a great signal.

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

1 hour ago, inanunda said:

I have a NBN 50mbs connection with TPG.  Even with the kids running youtube 24/4 on two ipads I still get a great signal.

I may only dream... ADSL 2 with about 5mbs on a good day

[old dee 23,792]

34 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

I may only dream... ADSL 2 with about 5mbs on a good day

I only have ADSL as well DJ ( nbn is available  Wife is watching Netflix as I type this on my iPad. Good enough for me. Of course I will have no choice but to join nbn some time in the next year. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

1 hour ago, old dee said:

I only have ADSL as well DJ ( nbn is available  Wife is watching Netflix as I type this on my iPad. Good enough for me. Of course I will have no choice but to join nbn some time in the next year. 

Have a look at Aussie Broadband OD.

The guys on the whirlpool forum where they discuss these topics swear by it.

Should not cost you any more  than your present ADSL. The big plus of Aussie Broadband is that they severely limit their user to CVC (connections to the NBN) ratio as compared to many other users. Try the 25mbs plan and see if that gives you enough speed. $55 per month.

Enjoy the day mate

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

On Whirlpool there's a hundred page thread on this topic which only started 2.5 weeks ago (shades of the Hogan thread !!).

My head started hurting after 20 or so pages.

Most of the discussion seems to be about the difficulties of chromecasting but overall the product is welcomed and gets high marks for content. Lots of discussion about whether it's 4k or HD.

Apparently there will be TV apps by the end of the year so I will check back in then.

Here's the thread if anyone is interested:

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2763582&p=1

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Just thought I would bump this thread and mention a couple of things being discussed on the whirlpool forum (link in post above) now at 170 pages.

• Still no android app for your television so one needs to use a device to stream it to your TV. (It was suggested that the TV app would be out by the end of 2018.)
• On the AFL coverage it seems that it will be the coverage that was available on Foxtel Now and not the Foxtel set top box coverage. This means when Channel 7 shows a match you get their feed and I assume the replay is delayed.
• Lots of talk about connectivity but in the main most seem happy with the streaming quality.
• A few complaints about the What's on capability and how it can be difficult to browse between the multiple offerings.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,225]

Anyone know if they will be archiving games for viewing On Demand? After a game is finished is it available on demand for a week, month, year, forever?

Also no NFL On Demand (only live) is a killer. All in all though $25 a month is pretty good compared to the $120 or so I pay currently for iq2 and an extra standard box with all channels.

[WERRIDEE 5,479]

2 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Anyone know if they will be archiving games for viewing On Demand? After a game is finished is it available on demand for a week, month, year, forever?

Also no NFL On Demand (only live) is a killer. All in all though $25 a month is pretty good compared to the $120 or so I pay currently for iq2 and an extra standard box with all channels.

I don't think so. Different sports have different demands. NBA doesn't last long, NFL doesn't have any replays which as you said is a killer I have to record it off 7mate. But you can get the whole year of A League, Big Bash and  international cricket doesn't go for too long either

[Sideshow Bob 2,386]

actually looking forward to ditching foxtel for this. Bought  an apple TV 4 to do it. however just going wait..... unless there is another way to get the final game of thrones season other than foxtel. then it can be ditched. 100 bucks a month back into the pocket happy days

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

4 hours ago, jako13 said:

actually looking forward to ditching foxtel for this. Bought  an apple TV 4 to do it. however just going wait..... unless there is another way to get the final game of thrones season other than foxtel. then it can be ditched. 100 bucks a month back into the pocket happy days

An interesting perspective Jako as Foxtel are trying desperately to ensure that this new product does not canibalise their existing Foxtel brand. I suspect that even if they are moderately successful it will mean the end of any growth in Foxtel as most of their new subscribers would have been gained as a result of their sports broadcasts.

The Kayo product will not be as good as the foxtel product simply because Foxtel are hamstrung with the deal they have done to share digital rights with Telstra.

It will make for a very robust negotiation next time the rights are up for grabs. One also must ask if this product is extremely successful will the FTA stations continue to engage in their unholy partnership with pay TV that has now pervaded cricket, soccer (A League) and football.

As they say we live in "interesting times."

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,833]

20 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

An interesting perspective Jako as Foxtel are trying desperately to ensure that this new product does not canibalise their existing Foxtel brand. I suspect that even if they are moderately successful it will mean the end of any growth in Foxtel as most of their new subscribers would have been gained as a result of their sports broadcasts.

The Kayo product will not be as good as the foxtel product simply because Foxtel are hamstrung with the deal they have done to share digital rights with Telstra.

It will make for a very robust negotiation next time the rights are up for grabs. One also must ask if this product is extremely successful will the FTA stations continue to engage in their unholy partnership with pay TV that has now pervaded cricket, soccer (A League) and football.

As they say we live in "interesting times."

I honestly can't understand why with all the competition from Internet TV streaming services Foxtel prices haven't come down to better compete with them.  

I hate the infated Foxtel prices, but our internet service isn't that great, thus I like my footy viewing to be independent of something which sometimes either gets choked up with bandwidth or goes on the blink randomly or when it rains or something.  We are only on a pretty cheap internet service and could probably get better by paying a few more bucks, but that becomes a bit self defeating.

How/why haven't Foxtel dropped their prices a bit more?  Is it the price of satellite access or something?  Just curious.

Edited January 6, 2019 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Are you on the NBN RBG?

I'm still on ADSL so kayo is not for me at present. Should have NBN by the second half of this year at which time the product definitely interests me.

[AllMyTeamsAreWank 564]

Been using this all Summer for the cricket. Just an FYI for anyone with the old Chromecast, you will need to upgrade to the new one. Kayo was horrendous on my old Chromecast, but on the new one it has been almost flawless. Only issues have been around  streams randomly disconnecting or starting from the beginning of the stream rather than the live part. 

[dino rover 714]

5 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

On 1/6/2019 at 12:19 PM, Diamond_Jim said:

they say we live in "interesting times."

I honestly can't understand why with all the competition from Internet TV streaming services Foxtel prices haven't come down to better compete with them.  

Its a cash cow

Most of their base doesnt comparison shop so cutting the price except to get new customers doesnt make sense

Foxtel (assuming it makes money)  now funds some developing product

Also better for foxtel that they cannibalise their market than some competitor

[Sideshow Bob 2,386]

my biggest gripe with Foxtel and has always been so is that I only want certain channels. unfortunately each of those is in a different package... so you just get all of it! would much rather just get what I want and not pay for everything else. I think most people think that way and a lot of channels would die as a result.... however if they die is there really a market for them to begin with!

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,833]

4 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Are you on the NBN RBG?

I'm still on ADSL so kayo is not for me at present. Should have NBN by the second half of this year at which time the product definitely interests me.

Still on ADSL.  For the most part it serves our needs ...on a $40 per month plan if I recall correctly.

I'm not really that keen on paying any more for Internet if we don't really need the extra bandwidth/speed.

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

1 hour ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Still on ADSL.  For the most part it serves our needs ...on a $40 per month plan if I recall correctly.

I'm not really that keen on paying any more for Internet if we don't really need the extra bandwidth/speed.

NBN should be fully rolled out by end of 2019 save for those premises deemed difficult which should all be finished by end 2020.

Aussie Broadband is the favourite provider these days because it limits it subscribers and in most cases you get the speed that you pay for. It has a $55 a month for 100 Gbs a month with a speed of 25mbs and unlimited at $69 a month also with 25mbs speed.

A bit more than $40 but it will allow streaming at the highest level. The GB cap could be an issue as streaming in standard definition eats up about 1Gb an hour whereas streaming in HD eats up about 3GB per hour as I understand it.

From the Kayo thread on Whirlpool they were saying if I recall you needed a minimum speed of around 7-8 mbs to run it.My ADSL is closer to 3mbs and thus it's no go for me at present.

[daisycutter 29,616]

26 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

NBN should be fully rolled out by end of 2019 save for those premises deemed difficult which should all be finished by end 2020.

.

not quite so. my area is not scheduled for rollout until q1 2020 (straight forward area - ftc) and i know of other areas scheduled for q2 2020.

of course this could change, but the odds would only suggest for the worse

i'm not too fussed because my adsl is quite good

Edited January 7, 2019 by daisycutter

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

31 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

not quite so. my area is not scheduled for rollout until q1 2020 (straight forward area - ftc) and i know of other areas scheduled for q2 2020.

of course this could change, but the odds would only suggest for the worse

i'm not too fussed because my adsl is quite good

keep a watch as many have recently been bought in by a quarter.  The pace of the roll out really picked up in the second half of 2018

[RalphiusMaximus 6,054]

I signed up for the free trial last night to watch the Asian Cup.  It was good quality, only stopped once and there were no issues with signing up or getting the stream started. 

On the NBN front, I spent a lot of time looking into satellite plans since the fibre will never reach my house.  There aren't any available that meet my needs.  Last month I switched from ADSL2+ which was getting up to 800Kb/s to Optus Mobile Broadband.  I'm now seeing 20Mbps speeds all day with no dropout issues in bad weather.  For anyone else with really crappy phone lines killing their ADSL speeds, I highly recommend checking it out. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Heated debate now on the Whirlpool site about whether the Kayo AFL coverage will be either;

• what Foxtel show ie: Foxtel commentary and HD picture with no ads; or
• what Foxtel Go shows: ie Channel 7 commentary and standard definition with  ads.

Seems no one is sure and Kayo support is giving conflicting answers. O well we'll know soon.

Still no sign of the television app.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,846]

13 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Heated debate now on the Whirlpool site about whether the Kayo AFL coverage will be either;

• what Foxtel show ie: Foxtel commentary and HD picture with no ads; or
• what Foxtel Go shows: ie Channel 7 commentary and standard definition with  ads.

Seems no one is sure and Kayo support is giving conflicting answers. O well we'll know soon.

 

On a typical 9 game non holiday weekend, 6 of the 9 games  are exclusive to Foxtel.

For example Round 7:

Coll V Port - Fri (n) Ch 7

Melb V Haw (sat) Fox

GWS V Stk (sat) Fox

Bris V Syd (sat T) Fox

Wb V RIch (sat N) Ch 7

WC V GC (sat N) Fox

Carlt V Nth (Sun) Fox

Geel V Ess (sun) Ch 7

Adel v Freo (sun T) Fox

So at the minimum Kayo's AFL coverage would have 6 Foxtel HD games (bolded above) that are commercial free on the above mentioned weekend. At least that's how I would understand it.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Bring-Back-Powell

[daisycutter 29,616]

8 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

On a typical 9 game non holiday weekend, 6 of the 9 games  are exclusive to Foxtel.

For example Round 7:

Coll V Port - Fri (n) Ch 7

Melb V Haw (sat) Fox

GWS V Stk (sat) Fox

Bris V Syd (sat T) Fox

Wb V RIch (sat N) Ch 7

WC V GC (sat N) Fox

Carlt V Nth (Sun) Fox

Geel V Ess (sun) Ch 7

Adel v Freo (sun T) Fox

So at the minimum Kayo's AFL coverage would have 6 Foxtel HD games (bolded above) that are commercial free on the above mentioned weekend.

that sounds reasonable

is there any comments re no ads in their advertisements? i wouldn't be surprised if they slip ads into their foxtel-sourced games to keep the subscriber prices low, if not immediately then later

[Diamond_Jim 12,592]

Anyone have Foxtel Go and can comment on the present set up.

6 of 9 may be exclusive to Foxtel in Melbourne but not Australia wide.

In the example above the Adelaide game, the Sydney game and the Brisbane game would also be broadcast by Ch 7 FTA into home markets.

That would make 6 of 9 with Channel 7 coverage