If there is a phrase consumers never like to hear it is “price rise”. Unfortunately this is exactly what Foxtel are advising customers who currently have the sports package as part of their pay-tv subscription.

Last week it was revealed Foxtel had increased the cost of the sports package by $4 to $29 per month which will be effective from February 2017 onwards. As with any rise in costs, the average consumer has not taken the 16% increase particularly well browsing the commentary on social media.

Some Foxtel customers are already feeling disillusioned before this latest announcement. For some soccer fans losing the rights to the English Premier League was all the motivation they needed to dispose of Fox. A price increase now within a few months of losing the rights to Optus is certainly less than ideal timing.

As much as Foxtel has tried to talk up some of the other live sport available, the EPL will always be a major draw card. The coverage of the Indian Premier League doesn’t quite generate the same level of excitement. For many that live in traditional AFL states, the new Rugby channel is also not something that pricks much interest.

Foxtel are believed to have roughly 2.9 million subscribers in Australia which is an incredibly strong figure when you look at how competitive the market is for the entertainment dollar. The landscape has certainly changed in recent years with free to air networks offering more digital channels and streaming services like Netflix proving a very cost effective alternative to Foxtel. Especially for those who are not sport viewers but enjoy other types of programming and movies in particular.

For many sport nuts however Foxtel has been seen as a necessity with the viewing rights they have in Australia. Is this still the case for sports lovers? People are finding when there is a will there is a way to watch sport through alternate sources as traditional viewing platforms change.

Depending on the sporting code many teams will offer subscriptions for their team with 24/7 online coverage or a season viewing pass can be purchased. Many fans still find a way to find a stream online to watch particular sports and special events. Of course free to air networks still show a good quantity of sport at no added cost.

Regrettably Foxtel customers do not have the option to just purchase the sports channels. This is purchased in addition to the basic package. When looking at the discussion on the Foxtel online forums and Twitter, this is an ongoing point of conjecture. Some customers solely want sports coverage and are not interested in paying an extra $40 for re-runs of Two and Half Men and Everybody Loves Raymond.

For someone like myself who has been a long-term Foxtel customer, I do fall into the category of having the service primarily for sports. But there were other channels and programs I certainly enjoyed on Fox and many used to be freely available through a basic subscription. Much of this viewing is now part of specialist packages requiring further cost and in my humble opinion the value is nowhere near as good as it once was.

Sometimes an increase in cost is unavoidable and the commercial reality is cost is passed onto the consumer. Foxtel have just committed a long-term deal of $57.6 million per season for the A-League rights and there are many associated costs with other sports they continue to broadcast.

Transparency certainly looks to be a major issue. People do not like to feel blindsided by cost increases in any services they use. If this latest hike was more clearly outlined perhaps the reaction would have been more accepting. For some customers much of the anger directed at Foxtel is due to the increase being heard via radio and online sources before any correspondence or official notification was received.

The letter advising of the changes I received this week is vague at best which can be easily summarised. Cost will be increased, here is a list of sports we have (which we already know) and PS terms and conditions are changing. A letter that provides very little information

The $4 rise in all likelihood will not be an issue for many but potentially will be for those on more modest incomes. The wider concern is whether cost now and in the future will price some people out of viewing top level live sport? Viewing mechanisms are not only changing in Australia but worldwide and maybe we just have to accept certain change is inevitable. While some people firmly believe the best things in life are free, that motto may not ring true when it comes to watching sport now and into the future.

by Liam Sheedy – contributor

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