Foxtel adds new HD and Box Sets channels, revamps pricing

Foxtel
Foxtel’s made changes to its channel lineups, offering a range of new HD channels as well as a specific Box Sets channel designed to let viewers catch up on popular series and some shifts in its pricing models.
Image: Eva Rinaldi
The new channels being offered in HD across its premium tiers will, according to a Foxtel release, comprise
Arena HD
Universal HD
13th Street HD
History HD
World Movies HD
Fox Sports News HD
Eurosport HD
Fox Sports 4 HD
BoxSets HD

The last of those is the new Box Sets offering, which will offer a continuous broadcast for those without a Net-connected iQ box, or on-demand offerings for those with net-connected iQ boxes or Foxtel Go. It’ll cover, according to the release

Game of Thrones – Seasons 1-4
The Sopranos – Seasons 1-6
Big Love – Seasons 1-5
The Newsroom – Seasons 1-2
Rome – Seasons 1-2
Band of Brothers
Entourage – Seasons 1-8
Wentworth – Seasons 1-2

And for the on-demand only crowd (that is, those streaming it rather than those waiting for live broadcasts)
Getting On
Looking – Season 1
Girls – Seasons 1-3
Angels in America

On the pricing side, Foxtel’s going to offer a low-tier, low price $25/month 12 month contract for an “Entertainment Pack” for cable and satellite customers, as well as shifting the price for its premium packs. According to the release, these will comprise the “Movies pack at $20 per month; the Sports Pack at $25 per month and the Drama Pack at $20 per month*. Three General Entertainment Packs will also be available including Entertainment Plus, Docos and Kids, each priced at $10 per month. BoxSets will be available as a stand alone for $10 per month.”
The new channel packs and prices won’t launch until November, however, so presumably Foxtel is seeking a lot of Christmas signups. If you’re on a contract or looking to sign up, it might be wise to wait — or at least haggle based on what’s coming soon.
It’s also confirmed the IQ3 as coming soon, but those hanging out for a triple play of Foxtel-supplied broadband, telephony and TV will have to wait until the first quarter of 2015.
It’s an interesting move for Foxtel; whether or not it makes actual sense to get a Foxtel subscription is up to you, and I’m certain there’s some for whom the price could never be low enough.
The new channels at least show that they’re making stronger and stronger moves in the IPTV space, which is clearly where TV-style entertainment is heading, as evidenced by this week’s launch of Freeview Plus on the free to air side of the TV spectrum.

2 thoughts on “Foxtel adds new HD and Box Sets channels, revamps pricing”

  1. So how much will a season of Game of Thrones cost when this is implemented? AFAICT it’s ~$600 if it were playing right now ($99.50/mo for reduced 6-month plan). That’s $60 per episode.

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