Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

[Bornadog]

The English Premier League (EPL) will appear on Australian free-to-air television from next season after Optus inked a deal with SBS to broadcast one match a week for the next three seasons.


To watch all next season's EPL matches and see giants such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal duke it out in the world's most popular football league, Australian fans will need to become customers of Optus, which takes up the rights for the first time in August.

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[Twodogs]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Yes!same deal we got until about ten years ago when Foxtel took the EPL.

[chef]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

This sucks balls massively

[Topdog]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

For me it's ok (fttp area) but the drop from HD to 720p is going to be a shame. Can't have AFL, A-League and EPL on the one subscription though and with Telstra giving AFL on mobile away for free it's bye bye Foxtel.

However Australia as a nation isn't ready for the digital age thanks to Abbott and Turnbull

[Bornadog]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

For me it's ok (fttp area) but the drop from HD to 720p is going to be a shame. Can't have AFL, A-League and EPL on the one subscription though and with Telstra giving AFL on mobile away for free it's bye bye Foxtel.

However Australia as a nation isn't ready for the digital age thanks to Abbott and Turnbull

It goes back further to Howard era. When the decision was made to switch to digital TV, free to air channels were not allowed to broadcast in HD on their traditional channels, ie 7, 9, 10 , 2 etc. However, they were allowed to create new channels in HD. The reasons were to do with the changeover and people not having HD enabled TVs. However, all the governments since just did nothing about it even though most homes have HD enabled TVs and consequently, we have all suffered. Finally, this year the government is now allowing FTA channels to broadcast in HD and that is why for example Ch9 has switched over. Hopefully ch7 will as well and broadcast the footy in HD. As for EPL it is up to SBS I guess.

As a nation, I agree we have once more been ripped off.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

This sucks balls massively

Have a look at Bein Sports.

[chef]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Have a look at Bein Sports.

I've already got it.

Just sucks massively that we wont be watching the EPL legally unless we're an Optus customer. Shit stuff for fans of the league

[Twodogs]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

We will be able to watch it on SBS.

[Twodogs]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Anyway has anyone seen the quality of streams these days? They are broadcast quality.

[chef]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

We will be able to watch it on SBS.

One game a week and it'll be in the crappier time slot. Plus its not going to feature any top teams, Optus arent going to give away any decent games.

[chef]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Anyway has anyone seen the quality of streams these days? They are broadcast quality.

Its just annoying as some are going from being able to watch every game live, plus replays and being able to record to having nothing.

Its just wrong that optus seem to be holding the rights to rasom and the only way you can get on board is to change phone or internet providers to a sub standard company.

I'd be happy enough to pay a subscription to their EPL coverage.

[Twodogs]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

One game a week and it'll be in the crappier time slot. Plus its not going to feature any top teams, Optus arent going to give away any decent games.

From memory the way it worked last time is that Optus chose the best game and the second best game was shown on SBS. It was in the normal time spot (3pm London time, midnight in non daylight savings, 2am in daylight savings. Usually it was one of the big clubs (Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, this was pre Roman Chelsea and pre Emirates Man City) The match at Tottenham when the Invincibles secured the premiership was broadcast on SBS on a Tuesday morning. I dunno that it will be all Watford V Crystal Palace at 5am on mondays, SBS have the rights to some World Cup games that Optus are wanting to buy so they will be able to extract a pretty good deal I reckon.

[Twodogs]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Its just annoying as some are going from being able to watch every game live, plus replays and being able to record to having nothing.

Its just wrong that optus seem to be holding the rights to rasom and the only way you can get on board is to change phone or internet providers to a sub standard company.

I'd be happy enough to pay a subscription to their EPL coverage.

I don't know why they don't just have an EPL channel that costs, I dunno, ten bucks a week? Its a really bad business model to keep it hostage and only let people have it if they subscribe to a bunch of other stuff nobody is interested in watching.

EPL would be far better value if it were stand alone. I'd happily pay ten or fifteen bucks a week for EPL, but I am also happy to just watch streams. Its up to the EPL and the broadcasters to decide whether they want my money because I am happy to keep watching for free. If they want my money then they have to set it up the way I like it, not the way that's most convenient for them. That's just the new economics.

[chef]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

From memory the way it worked last time is that Optus chose the best game and the second best game was shown on SBS. It was in the normal time spot (3pm London time, midnight in non daylight savings, 2am in daylight savings. Usually it was one of the big clubs (Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool, this was pre Roman Chelsea and pre Emirates Man City) The match at Tottenham when the Invincibles secured the premiership was broadcast on SBS on a Tuesday morning. I dunno that it will be all Watford V Crystal Palace at 5am on mondays, SBS have the rights to some World Cup games that Optus are wanting to buy so they will be able to extract a pretty good deal I reckon.

Hope SBS get the early sat night game so they can have a pregame show and make a weekly event.

[Bornadog]

Re: Optus unveils EPL plans, SBS gets a match per week

Hope SBS get the early sat night game so they can have a pregame show and make a weekly event.

SBs aren't allowed to show the same teams every week, ie Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, Totty etc. They have to mix it up.