🔥 Trending Foxtel Price Hikes Follow Record NRL Deal: What You Need to Know

Foxtel is set to increase the subscription prices for its Foxtel Plus and Platinum Plus packages by $5 per month, effective from September. This decision comes just days after the company secured a significant share of the National Rugby League (NRL) broadcast rights in a multi-billion dollar deal ¹²³⁴.

Details of the Price Increase

• Affected Packages: The price increase will apply to Foxtel Plus and Foxtel Platinum Plus subscribers ¹².
• Increase Amount: Both packages will see a $5 per month increase ¹³.
• Effective Date: The new pricing will come into effect from September ¹².
• Current Pricing (Foxtel Plus): Foxtel Plus is currently priced at $78 a month on a 12-month plan ¹. The new price would therefore be $83 a month.
• Communication to Customers: Foxtel has advised its customers of the impending increase ¹⁶.

Connection to the NRL Broadcast Deal

The price hike closely follows Foxtel's involvement in a record-breaking $5.3 billion NRL broadcast rights agreement ⁵⁹. This deal, which also includes free-to-air broadcaster Nine Entertainment and Sky NZ, secures the broadcast rights for the NRL from 2028 to 2034 ¹⁰.

• Timing: The announcement of the price increase came barely a week after the confirmation of the $5.3 billion NRL rights deal ⁹. Some reports indicate it was just days after the deal was announced ³⁴.
• Context: This marks the latest in a series of small but regular price increases for Foxtel subscribers since 2023 ⁶. The move has drawn scrutiny regarding the cost of watching live sports in Australia ⁵.
• Other Sports Rights: Foxtel also holds AFL rights in conjunction with Seven, under a 2022 agreement that extends until 2031 ⁸.

The decision to raise prices so soon after the NRL deal has led to discussions about how these significant sports broadcasting investments impact consumer costs ⁵.