Viewing the Premier League (live) 16/17...

That's good news.

Not often that football fans get a better deal than rugby heads

They have to pay $30 for Sky Sport and then extra money if they want the Rugby Channel.

Yea except most of the decent rugby is on the main sport channels, but with football it looks like they're going to ringfence all of the decent stuff behind a further pay-level. 

I think I'm going to get the online Bein Sports channel and quit Sky come the start of the season. 

Still waiting on the actual details of the offer though... 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/national-...

Sky Television has struck a deal to get English Premier League football back onto its satellite television service when the next season kicks off in August.

After months of speculation, spokeswoman Kirsty Way said Sky had secured the rights to show two football channels from Dubai-based broadcaster and EPL rights-holder Bein Sports, which is run by Al-Jazeera.

One channel will show EPL games, highlights and related shows in HD. The other channel will show matches from Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1, as well as games from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and England's Championship League.

The two channels, together, will cost $11.96 a month and will be sold separately to Sky Sports.

Way said Sky TV would not get any revenue from the channels, with all of the money instead going to Bein.

As viewers would need to subscribe to Sky Basic, the price of which will go up to $49.91 next week, Sky could still benefit financially from the partnership if it helped it retain or attract satellite television subscribers.

Sky said it cost about $18 a month to get the same football channels direct online from Bein and its price compared favourably with the $20 monthly fee previously charged by Coliseum, which had previously held the New Zealand broadcast rights to the EPL.

Sky would have up to three additional "pop-up channels" to show matches when fixtures clashed, Way said.

I want the $18 direct channel, and keep hearing these vague references in these articles, but nothing properly announced yet, and bein doesn't have a NZ website when I google.

Desperately wanting more info on this. 

Wording of above article doesn't actually say this will be available - they are just using it as a price reference to justify their own extra fees for football. 

Have a sneaking suspicion this won't actually be available, which would be devastating for my current plans. Hope I'm wrong. 

Sky aren't going to announce the Bein channels per se - part of the deal will be to give them an initial window to get people signed on before the Bein direct option is announced. This enables Sky to maximise the small opportunity they have to grow/retain revenue.

They're not (entirely) stupid - they know many subscribers will prefer to use the BC portion, but they'll try and grab what they can before that opportunity is formally presented.

Otherwise, there's no point/incentive for Sky to show it at all.

Sky have only just done a deal with beIN Sport in the last few weeks so I think you have to give beIN time to set up a NZ website. It will be different to the existing Aussie beIN Connect website with different leagues available (you don't get the EPL on the Aussie website, sounds like we won't be getting Serie A but we will get la Liga, Champions League and Europa League, the Championship and Capital One Cup as in Australia). In Australia they have three beIN Sport channels on Foxtel, all part of the Foxtel Sport package at no extra cost.

There is now some info on the Sky TV website about the two new beIN Sport football channels and confirming that you will be able to subscribe directly to the new beIN Sport NZ website without having Sky (access to the website will be free to Sky's beIN Sport subscribers):

https://skytv.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id...

EPL/beIN SPORTS

SKY is pleased to announce that we will have coverage of the 2016/2017 football season through beIN Sport with an offer of two of their premium channels. Though not available to be purchased as yet, you will be able to add them before the start of the EPL season, so keep checking for promos and media advising when this can be done.

1. beIN SPORTS 1 will be a 24/7 dedicated EPL channel broadcasting live EPL games, highlights and studio shows, all in HD.
2. beIN SPORTS 2 will show the best of LIVE European football from Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1, as well as providing additional LIVE games from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, England's Championship and the Capital One Cup, to complement SKY Sport's existing coverage of these competitions.
3. The fee will be $11.96 per month and you can buy this if you have SKY Basic (don't need Sport). You will also get access to beIN Connect online.
4. You can get this content directly via beIN Connect online for approx. $18 per month as an alternative to SKY.
5. SKY will have up-to three additional pop-up channels to simulcast matches taking place at the same time.
6. This content will not be on SKY GO or FAN PASS.

Please keep checking the EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) on your SKY box and our SKY Sport website for any changes or updates.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you want to watch the A-League, Olympics, All Whites etc. too as well as the EPL and the other football on beIN, then the following is a good option:

You can get Sky Basic on a special offer for only $29 / month from Icon Marketing who do promotion work for Sky.

So, $29 / month (Basic) + $11.96 (beIN Sport) = $41.96 / month

But you will need Sky Sport to watch EPL matches on the pop-up channels:

Icon Marketing also offer Sky Sport for $10 / month + Basic $29 + beIN Sport $11.96 = $51.96 per month

You get free installation and a free My Sky + box as well for recording stuff.

Minimum contract 6 months but you can keep receiving the special offer for up to one year. 

I have this offer and am very happy with it at that price.

Phone Icon Marketing during business hours on weekdays (keep trying until you get hold of someone - I found leaving a message wasn't effective): 0800 475 988

You have to pay the extra for Sky Sports to get the AWs and A-League of course though - they won't be on the Bein channels. 

And yes of course they need time to set up the online channels, but that doesn't mean they can't officially confirm that they will be setting them up - PLP announced what would be happening long before the website was up and running. 

I just want confirmation of what will be happening, that's all. Delaying that is costing me money right now, because I'm sitting here with Sky, wanting to switch it off, so it's pretty bloody annoying. 

So SKY should tell you when beIN are starting their website so you can cancel SKY - have you tried getting in touch with beIN directly to figure out this information? 

I would expect Bein to announce this themselves, hence the comparison with PLP. 

I have searched online but found nothing, so have sent an email to their international contact address, no response as of yet.

Optus' premier league site has gone live. My brother is over there on Optus so I tested watching from over here. No luck on dns4me. Have raised a support ticket to see if they can get support for it.

You can put Sky on hold and just get the free-to-air channels for a minimum fee per month - you keep your decoder etc.

I've done that in the past - I think they let me have it for free for three months.

You might want to do that while you wait and see what happens with the beIN sport website.

Might as well sign the change.org petition to have the Premier League broadcast in New Zealand just to show Sky that here is interest out there:

https://www.change.org/p/rlast-skytv-co-nz-keep-th...

Still no confirmation about Scottish football on this new service either? BEIN Australia have the Australasian rights but we can't get that here.

If it had Scottish, I, and quite a few others I know, would subscribe. As it is though, I probably won't bother. I'd probably watch EPL but have virtually zero interest in La Liga etc. I know many don't care about Scottish but there are large numbers of Scots in NZ and to have zero coverage seems crazy.

Scottish footy is a decent watch, Sky used to show it along with Dutch, Spanish, and South American football. Way back when it was not a threat to egg ball. If Bein also had the A  League it would have been a slam dunk for them. I have for many years suggested and supported a dedicated football channel that could have shown live games around the world in the various leagues.

from what I understand beIN 1 will be a 24/7 premier league channel - with shows, replays etc - fully programmed by beIN

beIN 2 will also be a 24/7 channel with a focus on other European leagues, I'm not 100% sure which ones but the Championship, French League, La Liga and European Continental Club Football have all been mentioned.  Again SKY have no control on this programming it's all done by beIN.

There is three additional channels that will be pop ups for additional Premier League games that SKY will schedule.

Football content that is SKY's (like All Whites and A-League) will continue to be on SKY Sport.

I want to really watch the Championship and the SPL would make a nice change too.

Are Sky ever going to announce this formally? We have seen quotes but still no further details or subscription options etc? 

Some positive signs if you do a search for 'beIN Sports" on the Sky TV website:

https://www.sky.co.nz/results#?searchTerm=bein%20s...

By the way, I've just learned from this that the Capital One Cup is now called the EFL Cup this season and that the "Football League" has changed its name to the EFL ("English Football League").

Coverage we'll get, deduced from this search:

Entertainment

EFL Cup

Watch the best teams in English football battle it out in this annual knockout competition. LIVE coverage of every round.

Sky Bet League One

Full synopsis still to be provided, ucius, cupta vendi to enistrum vent audam, sequiatur aut omnis corereniet aliquatur rerectatem. Coverage of selected games.

Entertainment

Sky Bet Championship

Watch 24 clubs battle it out for promotion to the Premier League in England’s second tier football competition. LIVE coverage of selected matches. Magazine shows: The Football League Show.

Entertainment

Spanish La Liga

Watch Spain’s top-flight football competition featuring international stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann. LIVE coverage of every round. Magazine shows: La Liga World, The La Liga Show.

Entertainment

Premier League

Watch England’s top-flight football competition featuring international stars Mesut Özil, Jamie Vardy and Sergio Agüero. LIVE & exclusive coverage of every round. Magazine shows: Premier League World, Goal Rush, Football Today, Fanzone and more.

French Ligue 1

Watch France’s top-flight football competition featuring international stars Ángel Di María, Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette. Coverage of every round. Magazine shows: The Ligue 1 Show.

Entertainment

UEFA Europa League

Watch 48 of Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester United and Southampton, go head to head in the largest participated international club competition in Europe. LIVE coverage of every match day.

Entertainment

UEFA Champions League

Watch the best teams in Europe battle for supremacy in the continent’s premier knockout club competition. LIVE coverage of every match day. Magazine shows: UCL Magazine Show.

Entertainment

American World Cup Qualifiers

Watch the nations of South America battle it out to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Coverage of selected matches.

Not clear if the UEFA coverage is on Sky Sports or Bein sports, is it?

Don't know if anyone's posted about this, but I watch Sky Sport through a TelstraClear, now Vodafone, TBox.  Just spoke to Vodafone and they can't confirm that the extra Sky Sport Bein channels are going to be available through the TBox.  If anyone else is in the same boat, they said we may have to switch to Sky decoders.

That's really sh*t if true.

I have tweeted Sky with your comment to see what they have to say. 

Still nada about BeIn Connect (or similar)?

Still nothing officially from Bein other than what Sky said on Radio Sport. The domain http:/www.beinsportsconnect.co.nz (ie, .co.nz equivalent of their .com.au address) still appears to be unregistered too. Seems strange with the season 3 weeks away. Wondering if Sky jumped the gun with their announcement and the deal hasn't actually been done.

Also take with a grain of salt but Miles Davis posted this on Facebook yesterday:

On Tony Veitch's Facebook page (not that he is in any way trustworthy), he posted Sky say the deal is done and they wouldn't have announced it on his show if it wasn't. But in the comments others are saying they have been on the phone to them and are being told it's still to be signed off. You would think there would be some sort of promotion and they'd be trying to get people to sign up 3 weeks out from the start if it was done.....

People who call are getting difference messages too. One was told negotiations still happening and not a done deal, noe told it's all go and will be announced shortly and that's within 30 minutes of each call. It seems even Sky staffers are in the dark. Great way to run a business. 

This was over a month ago. No closer to knowing what's going on now, 3 weeks from kick-off.

Shambles. 

I guess at least Sky got another month's subscription outta me - if they'd announced it properly a month ago I'd have left by now. 

A cynic might suggest that has been their plan all along - delay announcement to minimise subscription losses. 

Hmm, there's still the Olympics next month so presumably there's people hanging on for that anyway (myself possibly included).

$12 for Bein 1& 2? that's me sold on it as I have only Sky basic.

Same boat, would love to know?

Still nothing offically from Sky by way of a press release. For those interested the carriers for beIN channels have popped up on the satellite though so presume they must be testing. Can't see anything on the sky box as yet though.

Kirsty Way from Sky on Veitchs show yesterday confirmed they have the deal done and will be beginning a marketing campaign soon. Veitch didn't push her enough IMO re the season only being 20 days away.

I hope it is $12 for both channels inclusive and not $12 each. Doesn't sound much to some but trying to keep the sky down. It just jumped from $49 per month to $56 for some reason. Expecting it to go up another $15 for the Mysky HDI deal I got 6 months ago.

So still no word at all about the non-Sky option? (rumoured website access)

I assume Bein will announce that, but when???

They haven't responded since I asked them directly via email. 

Definitely $12 for both channels, and Veitch didn't ask about the online option either, so no more info on that...

Sorry off topic but...

Ugh

Veitch

I cringe whenever his name comes up in any context

An embarrassment to New Zealand that he is currently on the radio

Yes off topic but... I completely agree, I can't stand him, and I loathe how all the sports 'stars' call him Veitchy and he can't seemingly refer to said sports stars by their first names either. Not sure how Mike Hosking and him can work for the same company, wouldn't have thought their ego's would fit in the same building together

Veitch shouldn't have a job. He should be behind bars.

 

But y'all still listen to him...change the station. It's the best way to vote.

I don't listen to him. 

Even if he gets ratings, what's that got to do with it?