Optus Sport jacks prices
Footy fans have become accustomed to paying Optus to stream live major league matches like the English Premier League. And now, those sports fans have to pay even more.
Optus Sport owns exclusive rights to broadcast live EPL matches, and the service offers a wide range of other football leagues, including live games from:
- J League (Japanese League),
- UEFA European Championship,
- LaLiga,
- UEFA Nations League,
- European Qualifiers, and more.
The sports streaming service also had exclusive rights to live stream the Women’s FA Cup Final in May for the third straight year. Through exclusive deals like this, Optus Sport has grown in popularity year on year.
However, closing exclusive rights deals is quite expensive, and it seems that Optus’ decision to hike Optus Sport subscription costs has much to do with their recent expenses to secure such contracts.
This post looks into Optus’ strategic shift, which has resulted in the Premiere League Price increase.
Optus Sport now costs $24.99, but Optus customers get a 70% discount
Streaming live EPL matches now costs $24.99 per month if you’re not an Optus customer, thanks to the recent Optus Sport subscription hike. The same subscription costs just $14 last month.
The sports streaming service holds exclusive rights to broadcast live matches from the English Premier League, so many Australians need to pay Optus regardless of the price increase.
And while Optus customers are accustomed to getting free access to Optus Sport as part of their SIM-only plans, that has also changed. Optus customers now have to fork out an additional $6.99 per month.
Football fans will no doubt find this news unwelcome, but compared to other sports streaming services, Optus Sport remains quite affordable when you consider its significant sports content. We’ll make this comparison later in this post.
And even though Optus customers have gone from free to $6.99, they still enjoy a 70% discount for Optus Sport when compared to non-customers.
Optus strategic shift
Optus has made significant investments in Optus Sport, and the English Premier League (EPL) is one of its most valued content. The telco won exclusive rights to broadcast EPL matches back in 2015 and has held on to those rights ever since. The latest deal expires in 2028, when Optus will no doubt push for renewal.
The EPL deal doesn’t come cheap, however. Optus reportedly shells out around $60 million per season to keep the EPL as a client. Now, Optus Sport is starting to pay off as arguably the top-ranking sports streaming app in Australia – indeed the top footy broadcasting service.
Optus’ footy investments don’t stop at the EPL. Recall we mentioned several other soccer leagues that the service broadcasts as well.
For instance, Optus Sport has singlehandedly boosted viewership regarding women’s football. The service has broadcasted female soccer matches since 2019, starting with the FIFA Women’s World Cup and WSL (Women’s Soccer League).
Further, the sports broadcasting service broke viewership records with this year’s Euros Finalissima, which Lionel Messi’s Argentina beat European champions Italy for their first championship in 29 years. The event attracted close to one million viewers to Optus Sport, which is the most for a sports streaming event this year.
Perhaps Optus’ hefty investments into Optus Sport are due for a return on investment, hence the latest price hike. Note, however, that this is the first time the telco is increasing prices for Optus Sport subscriptions.
What’s clear, though, is that Optus sees Optus Sport as a lucrative market sector, and the telco’s strategy will continue to involve investments in the sports service.
Optus Sport vs. sports streaming other services
Football fans might frown at Optus Sport’s price increase to $24.99, but the service might be worth it compared to other sports streaming services. Here’s a quick comparison:
- Kayo costs $25 for sports content such as NBA, NRL, NFL, MLB, and more.
- Foxtel Sports Pack costs $74 for content, including ESPN, BeIN Sports, NRL, and more.
- Stan Sport costs an additional $10 plus the Stan subscription, and they offer sports content such as UEFA Champions League and International Rugby.
Optus Sport is still relatively affordable compared to the other top players in the sports streaming market. This is even more true for Optus customers who get a 70% discount, paying just $6.99 monthly for the service. The closest price is Paramount Plus at $8.99, and its only sports content is the A-League.
Final words
Optus’ investment in the EPL started six years ago, under the stewardship of then CEO Allen Lew. Mr. Lew bet the farm on content when the industry spoke excitedly about the confluence of media, telco, and internet connectivity. Telstra offered NRL and AFL content at the time, and a vocal, small telco, OVO Mobile, made its investments into entertainment content streaming by securing deals with Australian Supercars, for example.
Since then, the heat has gone out of the market talk about the convergence of these three forces. Telcos are now falling back into line around their core businesses. With that in mind, along with a new CEO, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, at the helm of Optus, who recently released a set of company financials showing a profit reduction, this price hike from Optus makes sense.