Telstra’s ‘Foxy’ plan to retain mobile customers
Tired of the competition nipping at its heels, Telstra has come up with a unique plan to increase its customer base and gain an edge over the competition. Telstra customers will now get free access to content packs on streaming service Foxtel Now, paving the way for greater collaboration between media and telecom in this digital age. The partnership reflects the growing customer demand to watch sport and premium programs on mobile, leading to an explosion in mobile bandwidth data usage.
Foxtel Now- Telstra relationship
Earlier this year, Telstra owned 50% of Foxtel Now alongside joint shareholder News Corp. However, Telstra has now sold 35% of this share and channelled the profits into their new offering, the Telstra TV, powered by Roku. The all-new Telstra TV is a streaming device that connects to your television screen and combines subscription TV, on-demand streaming, and free-to-air TV. Telstra insists that nothing has changed between Foxtel and Telstra in spite of the reduction in Telstra’s share in Foxtel. Foxtel Now will be available for streaming on both the Telstra TV device and the Telstra TV app, while also being a part of Telstra’s Entertainment, Sports & Drama Package for $55 per month.
Telstra and Foxtel are facing increased competition from rival Fetch which has partnerships with Optus, iiNet, iPrimus and Dodo, and have geared up to face the challenge together. Foxtel hopes that who take up Telstra’s offer will sign up to additional entertainment packs and stay with the subscription television business once the 12-month free period is over. Foxtel rebranded itself as Foxtel Now in July with HBO’s Game of Throne series and has only grown in popularity ever since.
Telstra TV – the app and the device
The Telstra TV mobile app has been designed to allow customers to search for content across Netflix, Stan, Foxtel Now and the free-to-air television catch up services via one function rather than needing to open each app separately. Telstra mobile customers can enjoy their free 12-month starter pack on both the Telstra TV app and the Foxtel Now App on their devices.
The new Telstra TV device supports both high screen and high device resolution while streaming high-quality videos. It comes with increased storage memory, 2GB Display RAM, and high-efficiency video codec (HEVC) technology that utilises bandwidth more efficiently while streaming. The Telstra TV device can stream
- ABC iView
- SBS On Demand
- +7
- 9NOW
- Tenplay
- Foxtel Now
- BigPond Movies
- Netflix
- Stan
- Hayu and
- every FTA station
It comes with a virtual remote control app with dedicated buttons for Foxtel and Netflix. Broadband users can enjoy the Foxtel now deal on the $99 Telstra TV value bundle as well. In any case, the free 12-month offer for mobile users is valid on the Telstra TV device.
Telstra –Foxtel future-proofing themselves for increasing demand
Mobile users are increasingly demanding video on mobile, with data usage for video having grown 40% on Telstra’s network in the last year alone. Telstra also experiences daily spikes in data usage during traditional commuter times. Within the next five years, Telstra expects video to surpass data use and account for 75 per cent of all mobile network usage. It is also seeing more people stream video during their lunch break, with lunch-time traffic matching the evening commuter peak. What this means is that Telstra expects all their mobile users to watch videos worth two-three HD episodes of data on their mobile networks everyday!
Telstra is beefing up underlying networks even while improving spectrum efficiency, transmission efficiency and increasing bandwidth capacity. The move to 5G is also a step in this direction. Foxtel has rebranded it’s television channel to include Internet streaming services and both have developed state-of-the-art mobile apps that can download videos faster and more efficiently, without compromising on quality.
Foxtel Now starter pack free for 12 months
Telstra customers on a minimum postpaid plan of $99/month with phone or $79/month without phone will receive 20GB data and a Foxtel Now starter pack valued at $180 free for the first 12 months. For 30GB of data you can receive 2 free starter packs while for 60GB or higher, you can enjoy 3 free starter packs for the coming year. Important features of the deal include:
- The deal will only be available until December this year.
- Foxtel Now fees are covered, but data charges will apply for any streaming that you do.
- You can select any Foxtel Starter pack from among Pop, Drama, Docos, Kids, and Lifestyle.
- The deal is available only for new customers or existing customers who upgrade their mobile plans before December end of this year.
The free 12 months of Foxtel Now can be enjoyed on the Telstra TV app, Telstra TV device and the Foxtel Now app for mobile.
Sources:
- https://www.channelnews.com.au/telstra-nothing-has-changed-with-foxtel-launches-new-telstra-tv/
- http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/telstra-lures-mobile-users-with-foxtel-now/news-story/68bd0dc8e870659a7442c475a3655a34?nk=38879fd74923f1d2c3896c1f80cf0ea9-1508983128
- http://www.afr.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv/telstra-targets-mobile-customers-with-foxtel-now-offer-20170904-gya3y8#ixzz4rlouxFRH