The days of Optus Sport being an attractive bolt-on proposition has come to an end, with the telco announcing it will now charge everyone for the pleasure of watching its soccer coverage – including its own customers.
Optus Sports houses the Premier League, FA Women’s Super League as well as major club and international tournaments. The telco is rumoured to have paid upward of A$100 million a year for the EPL rights, so it’s not surprising they are hoping to make some of that back.
For the past six years, Optus Sport has been part of an Optus subscription, but now it will charge $24.99 per month or $199 for an annual pass.
To soften the blow, eligible Optus customers will be offered a discounted subscription of $6.99 per month.
The telco crows this is a saving of 70 per cent, although one could argue it’s actually a markup of $6.99 a month.
The new charges will take effect on August 1.
“This compares favourably with other content streaming services that have emerged in the Australian landscape and is the first change to Optus Sport’s pricing since we first launched in 2016,” the company explains.
“We want you to know that we’re fully committed to providing value for money, so from August, all live and on-demand Premier League matches will be available to stream in 1080p HD on supported devices. That means you can watch all the action from the world’s best league in exceptional detail.
“We’ll continue bringing you every match live, plus full replays, mini matches, highlights, magazine shows and more, so you can watch your team without missing a beat. From Jurgen Klopp’s fist pumps after a Liverpool win to Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest SIUUU, Optus Sport will have you covered.”
This decision is likely to be very unpopular with subscribers.
It also comes days after Optus announced a dip in profits, which it blamed on lower National Broadband Network migration payments and lower equipment sales.