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More than 80% of Consumers Reject Foxtel’s New Pricing + Packages

More than 80% of Consumers Reject Foxtel

More than 81% of 9800 consumers who were polled in a  Fairfax Foxtel poll said that they would not invest in one of Foxtels new subscription packages.

23% said no, it’s still too much money, 39% said No, and there isn’t enough flexibility in the packages a further 20% said no, since they haven’t included Showcase into the package.

Desperate to attract new subscribers prior to Netflix being launched in Australia Foxtel is trying to woo consumers with a new $25 entry level package.

Last week their lobbying of the Federal Coalition Government was rebuffed when Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the proposed amendments to Australia’s data collection laws was “not about Game of Thrones” and illegal downloads. 
 
Responding to questions from the likes of SmartHouse, Turnbull sought to hose down expectations of Foxtel executives that police will use a new scheme requiring telecommunications companies such as Telstra who are a 50% shareholder in Foxtel to store customer records for two years and that this data can be used to prosecute Australians who illicitly download programs such as Game of Thrones which has not been included in any of the new Foxtel packages including their Platinum package. 

Foxtel’s plan to win over more customers and reduce illegal downloads appears to have got off to a shaky start with Telstra Call Centre staff telling existing customers that they will not get any discounts. 

Over one million Foxtel, Telstra customers are also being charged $14 a month for the privilege of getting HD content despite most movies and sporting content already being shot in HD or higher.
  
Platinum customers who are being asked to pay $134 a month with HD, can also take heart that prior Foxtel customers who in the past paid $75 a month will see their package cut to $45 a month. 

The new $25 per month, includes 40 channels. There is an additional cost to gain access to sports, dramas and movies.

Foxtel who are keen to squeeze as much as they can out of Australian consumers have failed to include the television blockbuster in the reduced $25 subscription offer instead customers are being asked to pay an addition fee to get access to the Game Of Thrones content which attracted over 300,000 downloads over a Bit Torrent network when the new series was launched in Australia earlier this year.  
Five months ago Foxtel spokesperson Bruce Meagher promised that accessing Game of Thrones would be cheaper. 

Peppa Pig which my two year old granddaughter loves watching gets bigger viewing numbers than Game Of Thrones which attracted less than 175,000 viewers. 

Last season, GoT set a world record for file sharing downloads with more than one million Australians accessing the show.
 
According to file sharing monitor TorrentFreak, Australia is the only country in the world to reach double digit downloads of the show with 11.6 per cent of GoT downloads originating here.

Foxtel’s new $25 Entertainment Pack on a 12-month plan features more than 40 channels including FOX8, Lifestyle, ARENA, MTV, National Geographic, Universal, TCM, Discovery Channel, UKTV. But not Showcase – the channel that broadcasts GoT. Or sport, which attracts most male pay TV subscribers.

To watch the latest viewer must purchase a $20 drama pack on top of the new $25 entertainment pack.

At a total of $45 per month, it’s cheaper than the previous price of $74 per month.

There will also be more HD channels and the launch of an upgraded IQ box to allow viewers to watch shows that have been screened in the previous 24 hours.