Foxtel drops Xbox data charges
May 31, 2011
Australian pay-TV provider Foxtel has confirmed that Telstra BigPond broadband customers will not be charged for any data when using Foxtel on Xbox 360, and six BigPond TV channels are to be added to the service.
This means all video content will be unmetered for Telstra BigPond customers when viewing the Foxtel on Xbox 360 service, including watching TV shows from Foxtel channels on the live streaming television service, the six BigPond TV channels, Catch Up TV, and hundreds of new release films, library movies and TV episodes from the Foxtel on Xbox 360 On Demand service.
The six channels from BigPond TV cover sport, racing and news including: FOOTY TV the AFL channel, LEAGUE TV the NRL channel, V8 Supercars Australia, RACING TV with TVN, BigPond Sport TV, and BigPond News. These channels will be available on the Foxtel on Xbox 360 service to all Get Started subscribers at no additional charge.
This is the first time Foxtel on Xbox 360 subscribers will have the benefit of both selected live coverage of sports via FOX SPORTS PLAY and ESPN, as well as streamed AFL and NRL games available on delay.
In addition, from June games from the current season of AFL and NRL will be available on the service as Catch Up video on demand, and a highlights piece will also be available for each AFL and NRL game. Live AFL will come to Foxtel on Xbox 360 from the start of the 2012 season.
Foxtel Executive Director of Product & Sales, Patrick Delany described the arrangement with Telstra as “a big win for Foxtel on Xbox 360 users, allowing unmetered access to thousands of hours of great programming – all without a Foxtel fixed term contract.”
Telstra’s Executive Director of Media, J-B Rousselot, said that hundreds of thousands of Australian homes now had access to BigPond TV channels, which made it a compelling reason to get online through Telstra. “BigPond’s unmetered content is already a hit with T-Box, Samsung and LG customers, and we’re pleased to be bringing unmetering to customers connected to Foxtel on Xbox 360,” he added.