Optus has today unveiled its English Premier League plans, with the 2016/17 season to be broadcast across a range of platforms, while also revealing a partnership with SBS.Optus states that the 2016/17 EPL season will be broadcast “across a range of television, mobile, online and out-of-home viewing platforms”.
This will include “Australia’s first-ever 24/7 football channel dedicated exclusively to the English Premier League”, which will be carried on Optus’ subscription TV platform, Optus TV with Fetch. Optus states that, with up to 10 sub-channels, it will accommodate every match of every round live.
An Optus EPL app for mobiles and tablets will provide access to Optus’ 24/7 EPL channel, with unmetered mobile and fixed-broadband streaming of live games, with the app to be progressively offered via selected media TV player devices and smart TVs, while the Optus EPL website will feature live matches for subscribers.
Optus states that its satellite broadcast platform, for customers who either can’t access Optus’ broadband services, or who can’t get HD content via their broadband service, will also deliver live games via Optus’ EPL channel to commercial premises, including pubs and clubs.
Under the SBS partnership, SBS will sub-licence the FIFA World Cup to
Optus, with Optus to transmit all 64 matches of the 2018 men’s World Cup
live, along with other FIFA events, including the 2017 FIFA
Confederations Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, over a range of
TV and internet-enabled devices.
SBS has advised that commencing
with the 2016-17 season, for the next three seasons until 2018-2019
Optus will sub-licence exclusive free-to-air TV rights of one EPL match
per round to SBS.
SBS will broadcast matches live and in HD on its
main channel (featuring every EPL team at least once throughout the
season), as well as providing simultaneous live streaming.
SBS will additionally show a replay of each match within 72 hours.
Under
the sub-licence deal, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup SBS will retain
simultaneous free-to-air rights to 25 of the matches, with Optus to have
exclusive rights to the whole tournament, with 39 exclusive live
matches.
“As the only telco in Australia to own and operate network infrastructure across all three mobile, fixed and satellite platforms, we are in a unique position to deliver the English Premier League and the 2018 FIFA World Cup to more Australians in more ways than ever before,” Optus chief executive officer Allen Lew commented.
“Broadcast has been a key part of our services since the inception of Optus’ satellite business. We have developed rich expertise in broadcasting and have a long history in delivering high-quality live broadcasts via our satellite fleet.”
Optus states that full pricing details are set to be unveiled mid-year.
