Australian multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) Foxtel is beefing up its IPTV play with a new TV Everywhere-like service called Foxtel Play that is expected to be available for a range of TVs, consoles and mobile devices.
Unveiled at the ASTRA Conference by Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein, Foxtel Play is seen as a way to bring new customers into the Foxtel pay TV service with subscriptions as low as $25 per month with no lock-in contracts. Freudenstein said the new service will help it meet its goal of reaching 50 percent of Australians.
"This is a perfect new way for those people who have not yet experienced Foxtel to enjoy our popular content," Freudenstein said at the conference, according to Lifehacker.
And, of course, it will be a way to draw those viewers into more lucrative deals with the IPTV provider.
"Ideally when they've sampled Foxtel Play and see what a great product it is, they'll sign up to the full service," Freudenstein conceded in a story carried by Ad News. "It's an opportunity to introduce Foxtel to a new customer segment."
The opportunity will be happening this year, as Foxtel expects an on-demand movie service to roll out in the third quarter or so. The IPTV service is also working to upgrade its set-top box to have 10 times more processing power and eight times more memory.
In addition to drawing in new customers, Foxtel is working to keep those it has with a triple play that combines broadcast, broadband and telephony, with the support of part owner Telstra (ASX: TLS.AX), Freudenstein said.
"We believe it makes sense for us. It will place us firmly in the centre of the broadband connected home," he concluded.
For more:
- Lifehacker had this story
- Ad News carried this story
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