The Premier League is back and thanks to catch-up streaming there are no doubt a few fans in Australia who didn’t watch a minute of this weekend’s action live.
I have a confession to make. When the World Cup ended, I kept my Optus Sport subscription despite the fact it was about to cost me $15 a month.
That’s how they get you. I wrote extensively about the Premier League’s move from Fox Sports to Optus at the time but even I knew back then that the horse had bolted.
There were genuine causes for complaint as far as I was concerned, but ever since the telco began offering football coverage as a standalone service and not accessible only to Optus customers, the complaints have more or less dried up.
And the coverage itself has been excellent.
There are preview shows and press conferences for those so inclined, the highlights go up quickly and effectively and perhaps the best feature of all is the 24-minute mini-matches.
In fact, those mini-matches are so good you essentially never have to watch a live Premier League game at all anymore – especially if the games are on in the early hours of the morning.
I must admit that I did watch some live English football this weekend. It just wasn’t the Premier League.
Faced with the choice of firing up the laptop to watch Manchester City slaughter West Ham at the worst stadium in the league or the infinitely more interesting clash between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest on beIN Sports, I flicked on the TV instead.
I did at one point try to log into the Chromecast on our other TV but it had lost the connection to the modem for the umpteenth time and I couldn’t be bothered messing around trying to remember the password.
So rather than watch the Premier League, I watched The Championship instead.
And I’d say that will probably be the case more often than not this season.
It’s not that I’m averse to new technology. I watch Netflix on my TV all the time and the football apps on my phone cop a beating, including Optus Sport.
If anything, it’s probably more a case of having access to too much technology.
Between phones and laptops and multiple streaming services on different devices, it’s not always that convenient to keep switching between them all.
Call it the path of least resistance, but most of the time I’d still rather just turn on the TV and watch whatever football happens to be on. I doubt I’m the only one.
Of course, the entrance of Fox Sports’ own streaming service Kayo into the market has at least served to bring prices down, with Foxtel now heavily discounting access to its traditional subscription packages.
I just wonder, though, if all this on-demand access hasn’t changed the way we watch our football?
Let’s call it the YouTube effect. It feels like there are plenty of fans across the globe watching highlights of games online and getting on social media to discuss their favourite players.
But are they watching many 90-minute matches? And are they watching live?
By the time the A-League starts up again in October, I’ll invariably cut back on the amount of European football I watch anyway.
There are only so many hours in a day and I can always watch a replay, highlights or a mini-match on demand.
I just wonder if that’s what the Premier League envisaged when they flogged off the broadcast rights to the highest bidder a couple of seasons ago?
Where once I would always tune into the live Saturday night clash on SBS, now I don’t even need to do that.
Has the way we consume our football changed forever? Or are we simply spoilt for choice in the age of technology?
BennoFootball
Roar Rookie
Hi Lionheart, Seems like I have a similar setup, Fetch Box & Foxtel TV, only difference is that I can Record on Both. With the Fetch Box I can Record via the EPG ( Electronic Program Guide ) or scroll keys by pressing the Red R button on the Remote. As always .... C’on BRISBANE ROAR FOOTBALL CLUB!!!
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
As much as I was tired on Monday, I sat up and watched the Man Utd v Chelsea match. I have supported Utd since I was 4 years old, barely old enough to understand, but I still knew. I even remember the last time United went down. But I want to make it clear, ,that my stance is that if you dont support your own, before you support someone else then you are doing the game a gross injustice. Hence the fact that I am an ardent A-League supporter (how about those Jets in the FFA Cup........not a Victory shirt in sight at the moment) and I strongly dislike Euro snobs. Funnily enough, I hope that Newcastle Jets, who are making very positive steps with youth development, with community engagement, creating a family environment thanks to Lawrie McKennna, etc can build that same sort of culture that Man Utd have. it's a community, it's loyalty, perserverance, belief, it's all about supporting the club. As an optus customer I can get optus free on my mobile, and then I cast to my tv. I do pay for Kayo though. Without an A-League fix I am not a happy camper.
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
Nothing live for me this week - mini matches rule
Stuart Thomas
Expert
I did and really enjoyed the Hammers' solid performance against the champions......not.
Nemesis
Guest
KayoSports had Mini Matches for ALeague last season. But, the editing was no where near the quality of OptusSport. Even SBS Mini Matches for Women's WC wasn't as good as Optus.
At work
Roar Rookie
How good would mini matches for A League be!
At work
Roar Rookie
I’ve got free Optus sport on my phone due to moving from virgin to Optus, so I thought I’d give the premier league a crack this season. Went and bought a chromecast and I must say it’s excellent. I never liked plugging in a laptop, very clunky and the TV ruled. But just casting your phone to the TV means there’s no more excuses. On the case of the football, so good! Watched the arsenal mini match and plenty of highlights on the TV. Open the app, cast to the TV and it’s almost as quick as changing the Foxtel channel. But the difference is that Optus has everything on demand, which Fox Sports don’t (which Kayo do I believe). I’ll continue to tune in that’s for sure, and I’d be more than supportive if the A League ever goes digital.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Ah, i sadly never got to the old White Hart Lane, i've got plans to go to the new one though. I see us finishing 3rd, winning one of the Carabao or FA Cup, then getting around the semis in the UCL. Ndombele looked good, still uncertain about the Lo Celso signing. Man City away should be a big test.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Since the men's World Cup group stage issues Optus seems to have had fewer issues of note. In that sense their shift from telco to media provider seems complete. Payed for the women's World Cup for just the tournament and turned off the auto-subscription - great coverage and discussion around the Matildas and other games. The mini-matches are ideal and are put together for a good sense of the match if you can't watch it all. There is only so much time to devote to screen watching and then the fragmenting of content is another 'issue' if you only have some much to spend on a provider. Kayo vs Optus then which league can you do without? I rarely watched the EPL so no worries on not having Optus. The World Cup is a different story... Kayo for FFA Cup, A-League and national team if not on free-to-air. Kayo's ability to multi-screen is good but needs to improve in some functionality when switching between matches. Telstra was initially first before Kayo but not being able to see quality image on the bigger screen if I want meant I didn't pursue it. Kayo got my attention after not ever having Foxtel. My own league is the most important to me, so if the next media deal means Optus gets the A-League rights over FoxSports/Kayo, then I guess Optus gets my money and there would have to be a compelling reason to keep Kayo (say Socceroos/Matildas left on Kayo). Being able to watch football on Optus without being a subscriber to the network is the smartest decision of all. If FFA/A-League can get most of Australian football content on the one provider, that could help in bargaining against a likely higher subscription numbers...
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
along the Newell. But check the coverage maps.
Griffo
Roar Guru
That pocket computer is a personal gateway to information, content, friends, community, interests, communication, memories, media...that has merged as an extension of themselves probably for nearly half their life (if they're 'young'). Contrast with older generations not doing the same thing that had a separate device or communication medium (TV, phone, camera, paper mail, newspapers, radio...) where community was a physical (not online) presence. Connecting to the content is key. The method in doing so has become easy and personalised, and not restricted to a location or time.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
That’s good news - do you mean along the Newell? We are e perimenting with Optus at the moment as even in Sydney coverage is sporadic with Vodafone and Optus. I told my wife to test it where she uses it most but certainly going through country areas has been a major headache for years. You get so used to losing signal that when I was in the uk a few years ago, I asked which was the better network for country and rural areas and didn’t understand why I got confused looks....... totally forgot geography and lack of distance. At one point we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and then came to a junction that had a signpost “25 miles to Manchester”. They swap tyranny of distance and rural coverage for overcrowding of networks and slowdown!
Eden
Roar Rookie
I have Fetch via an Optus broadband. Watched Everton vs Crystal Palace and will probably watch all Everton matches until daylight savings makes it too hard. Then I switch to recording and usually watch mini matches. I’ll watch bits and pieces of the early matches as well. The highlights and mini matches are great but nothing beats live sport when you have an irrational emotional investment.
Franko
Guest
Pretty much agree, I dont care for EPL these days, will happily watch continental football with spare time but basically I'm counting down to the A-League. For all it's faults, it's ours.
AJ
Roar Rookie
They generally have every game outside of the 3pm kick-offs, where there is the 1 game.
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Reminiscing about Villa v spurs ....always a memorable game for me Jordan . In my early 20s took a $200 Christmas Day one way flight Sydney to Manchester... got a lift down to Birmingham and went to villa Park for villa v spurs .. 4-1 to the villa with Stan Collymore the hero . Totally off topic I know Also got to the old white hart lane for a match among others . Enough of my rambling nostalgia anyway How do see Spurs going this season?
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I like the discussions pre/post match, depending on who's doing the discussing. But yes, more play action is better.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Thanks.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
yep, all agreement Nemesis.
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
I have to use Telstra for internet and mobile as Optus signal stops a few kms away from my little town , which is slightly off the inland route . But first world problems I know . The Optus soccer app is great and I’m sure I’ll use it again later in the season .