I've just been checking out the situation across the Tasman for football coverage this season.
Football fans used to be better off over there with Foxtel carrying EPL, A-League, la Liga, Serie A, Champions League, internationals etc. for one reasonable price on their own sports channels.
When beIN came along over there you could just add that to your Foxtel subscription for lots more football.
We are now much better off than Aussie football followers for whom it's suddenly got much more expensive to watch football legally.
There are definitely advantages in cost and convenience in getting all your sport from one satellite provider such as here with Sky.
The online-only option is available in Australia through beIN Sport Connect for $A18 / month - problem is, it doesn't have the Premier League over there of course.
Across the ditch, to watch the EPL you need to subscribe to Optus. For all other football you need to subscribe to Foxtel and/or beIN Sport.
And I notice that across the ditch Foxtel charge new customers $175 for installation and equipment (Sky gave up on charging new customers for installation long ago).
To subscribe to both Optus and Foxtel (with added beIN) would be $A 1437 per annum !!!!
And with the hassle of having to have a mobile plan with Optus to get live EPL games.
COST IN AUSSIE:
Optus for EPL: $540 / year (including your mobile phone cost); $420 / year with "Fetch TV" box to stream onto your TV
http://www.optus.com.au/epl?SID=con:tv:EPLPRE:EPLP...
You must be an Optus customer for phone and/or broadband to get the EPL coverage.
Minimum cost for mobile phone and EPL = $540 / year (cheapest eligible plan plus $15 / month for EPL)
(Current special offer this month only = free EPL with $360 / year mobile phone plan)
Foxtel for A-League, Socceroos, beIN Sports channels etc. = $787 / year for Foxtel basic package plus Sport (not including beIN)
Foxtel with Sport including beIN Sport (3 channels) = $907 / year (Both these prices include installation and equipment hire)
http://getbein.beinsports.com/au/subscribe/
https://www.foxtel.com.au/get.html
Foxtel's own sports channels are now very similar to what Sky TV was providing in NZ last season. They only broadcast six EPL club channels for delayed EPL coverage, A-League, Barcelona TV (one Barcelona match a week) and the minimal football available on ESPN such as FA Cup and MLS.
And even if you add the beIN Sports channels (they provide three in Oz) there is no EPL over there - just la Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Champions League etc.
So anyone in Australia wanting to watch the EPL plus A-League, European football, Socceroos etc. legally would have to subscribe to both Optus and Foxtel.
Cost for both would be $530 for Optus plus $907 for Foxtel with beIN Sport
TOTAL COST: $A 1437 per year !!!!!