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EPL revolution just the start for Optus

30th July, 2016
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One of the biggest shake-ups in recent Australian sports broadcasting is just a fortnight away and Optus says it is ready.

Ambitious telco Optus has seized the rights to the English Premier League – with one match a weekend screening on SBS – and has spent months fine-tuning its pitch and the technology to deliver it.

Now all it needs are the eyeballs.

Australians making their decision to sign up after the disruptive acquisition from long-term broadcaster Foxtel ahead of the August 13 opener between Hull City and surprise champions Leicester City.

Non-Optus broadband or mobile customers need to switch across or take out a new service to watch the games – whether live or on-demand.

There’s coyness from Optus Head of TV and Content Paul Rybicki just how many have joined.

“We’ve had tremendous interest,” he told AAP.

Optus is relying on research, stating two-thirds of Australian football fans are out of contract for their mobile services.

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And the two-thirds of Australian households that don’t have Foxtel are no longer “locked out”, according to Rybicki.

With another mass of mobile customers coming out of contract in the traditional recontracting period areound September, Optus hopes it is a storm that sends customers their way.

Their strategy is to use the English Premier League to grow an entertainment platform, which also includes digital rights to Australian cricket fixtures and FIFA tournaments.

“This is the jewel in the crown because it’s exclusive and big and something people are passionate about,” Rybicki says.

“But it’s not just about the Premier League. It’s a bigger entertainment story we’re telling.

“We’re going to do something special with cricket this summer.”

More sports and leagues could follow.

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Rybicki says their big splash on entering the market meant he was seeing three types of email in his inbox more than any other.

“There’s ‘Can I come and work here’ or ‘Can I sell you my services’ and ‘I’ve got some rights. Do you want to buy them?’,” he laughs.

“You name a sport, I’ve got an email.

“We’ll look at everything if it makes sense commercially.”

“We’ve got a content management system, we’ve got multiple platforms to deliver it.”

Optus says long-time investment in their networks means they’ll be prepared for the opening weekend.

“We’re spending more than a billion dollars a year over the last decade into the network (and) pretty much every investment is optimising for video.”

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