That streaming sport battle we’ve been reporting on for some time now is getting really interesting, with Optus announcing to their subscribers the price of Optus Sport is going up on August 1.
And when I say going up, I don’t mean by like 10% as Kayo did recently. Optus Sport is going from $14.99 to $24.99 – that’s $10 extra per month, a price rise of 66.7%!
If you pay annually, the price goes from $139 to $199, a $60 hike, up 43%.
Optus say that for six years they have been changing the game for “Aussie football fans”, and they have – an outstanding on-demand and live sport experience, with the English Premier League, WA Womens Super League and a bunch of Major Club and International Tournaments.
But the challenge for Football (Soccer) fans in Australia is that there are football games spread across Fox Sports (Kayo), Stan Sport and Optus Sport – plus Paramount+ for the Aussie A-League.
Having all three of them will set you back at least $78.98. You’ve gotta be a mega fan!
If you’re an eligible Optus Customer, the price will be $6.99 – a huge 70% saving. HOWEVER, that used to be free on some Optus plans.
Optus is not holding back in their approach to this though, they say the new pricing “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.”
In selling their service, Optus says Optus Sport will “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.“
As well as “The live action doesn’t stop there; our coverage of the FA Women’s Super League will allow Aussie audiences to watch some of our top Matildas week in week out, headlined by Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr.“
If your subscription is direct debit, or via a smartphone app store it will just kick in. If you’re an Optus customer you’ll hear from Optus about adding the now $6.99 plan to your bill.
Why is the price of Optus Sport going up?
Business. The English Premier League rights were just renewed through to 2028. You think they were the sole bidder? I bet Stan Sport put their hand up, as did Foxtel through Fox Sports. For Optus to stay competitive, they would have had to pay more, and that’s a cost that consumers will need to help fund.
The question is, how many of their claimed one million active subscribers will pay up for the new rate?
