The second season of its EPL coverage – for which it beat out long-time rights holder Fox Sports – and a deal struck with National Geographic in July 2017 helped Optus to a record quarter in postpaid handset growth for the third quarter. Postpaid handset customers grew by 127,000 in the quarter, which was slightly offset by a 29,000 subscriber decline in the less profitable prepaid segment.

In 2015, Optus surprised many in the market by swooping on rights to the EPL, agreeing to pay $63 million annually, more than three times the $20 million Fox Sports was believed to be paying under the previous deal.

Fox Sports, which recently completed its merger with Foxtel, was considering a tilt at winning back the rights to the EPL. Sources said the News Corp-majority owned business was interested in winning back the EPL, but its appetite for a bidding war was low, having secured rights to every ball of Cricket Australia's $1.18 billion TV deal signed in April for close to $700 million over six years.

Foxtel is paying roughly $115 million annually for cricket, including contra, a big number added to the cost base as the pay TV provider searches for subscriber and earnings growth ahead of a sharemarket listing down the road.

Fox Sports has secured limited international overs cricket exclusively. AAP

Securing cricket was a key strategic move for new Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany, who was looking to shore up the pay TV provider's weak summer schedule. Foxtel hopes cricket, while expensive, will help reduce churn between the end of the major football codes, AFL and NRL, in September and October, until they return in March.

Crucially Foxtel locked up a chunk of cricket content exclusively, including all international limited overs cricket and a handful of Big Bash League games. Test matches and 43 BBL games will be simulcast with Seven.

It is a massive change for the Australian television sports landscape.

Under the previous deal, all of Cricket Australia's matches were broadcast on free-to-air television, over Nine Entertainment and Network Ten. Australians without Foxtel will not see any men's cricket on free-to-air television until December 6, when Australia begins a Test series with India, while those with subscription TV will see the men's game kick off on November 4, as Australia begins a One Day International series with South Africa, then a Twenty20 series against India.

Women's international cricket will start on Seven on September 29.