Foxtel has confirmed more cuts to its channel line-up with confirmation Eurosport will depart the platform next month.
Eurosport holds broadcast rights for several popular events, including cycling, athletics, tennis, and winter sports. The channel will cease being available to Foxtel subscribers from January 31.
The changes come after Foxtel recently renegotiated its content supply agreement with Eurosport channel owner, Discovery. The changes will affect two further channels with Discovery Kids also closing, while a new channel Investigation Discovery will replace existing service Discovery Science.
Explaining the decision to cut the channel, a spokesperson for Foxtel told TV Blackbox;
“As part of our evaluation of programming, Foxtel has made the decision to prioritise sport codes where we see consistent viewer numbers. As a result, the Discovery Eurosport channel will not be available on Foxtel from 31 January 2020.
The Eurosport channel provides coverage of European sports including alpine sports, cycling, football and niche sports such as chess however viewing numbers for the channel have been consistently small and declining.
Foxtel is continuing to invest in providing great sports coverage and we have some exciting announcements in store for 2020.
We know however there are some sports on the Eurosport channel that have a very engaged group of fans and we acknowledge there will be some disappointment at the channel’s removal.
For fans of popular European sports we will continue to look at what options are available. For example, SBS on Demand will be available through Foxtel early in 2020 which includes a significant range of European cycling events.
In other areas, it may be direct relationships can be established with some codes where that makes commercial sense. We will keep fans of European sport up to date during 2020”.
Foxtel is under intense pressure to cut spending on content and manage debt issues. Eurosport content has never been available via Foxtel’s sport streaming fresh hope KAYO.
In a recent interview with Max Mason at AFR, Foxtel’s CEO Patrick Delany, indicated 2020 would see the business continue to;
“drive cost out of business and don’t spend too much capital. A big part of our cost is content.”
Delany went on to indicates streaming products such as Kayo were now delivering Foxtel far more accurate data and allowing the business to make more educated decisions regarding what sporting content was actually worth keeping. The goal moving forward would be to ensure Foxtel has;
“got the minimum amount of content to make sure we keep and get subscribers. The path has been here at Foxtel where, for example, we’ve got every game of every sport. I think, going forward, we’ve got enough data to determine, actually ‘how many games of each sport do we need to make our subscribers content and not over-egg it?”
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Sad Sad call by Foxtel
If Kayo is their data analysis
Snow sport and Cycling isn’t on Kayo
So where the hell does their program data show up
Looks like I’ll just have to subscribe direct to Eurosport and ditch my Foxtel
That’s it ..out of Foxtel
That’s it ..out of Foxtel
I think Mr Delaney just egged himself in the face over Eurosport demise
Now’s the time for SBS to stand and shine on like Diamond
I have been with Foxtel for nearly 20 years and every year it just gets worse. Eurosport is one of my favourite channels as all the other channels are full of ads and replays of old programming. Grant.
I’m out of there! Cycling and athletics are the only reasons I still have a subscription. I’m looking at subscribing direct to Eurosport but, at the minute, you can’t sign up for their player with an Aus. IP address. Surely they can remove this restriction now?????
Another boost for the Americanisation of Australian TV. Don’t overlook the quality issues re the viewers, many of whom watch Cycling from their interest in travel.
I have been a Galaxy/Foxtel subscriber for around 25 years and a Eurosport subscriber for almost as long as it has been available.
It is THE QUALITY sports channel against which the rag-tag bunch of content on the other sports channels – I hesitate to characterise this as ‘mainly crap’ – pales into insignificance.
This decision is a step in the further dumbing-down of what is available on Foxtel pay-TV.
I have no doubt that if Foxtel pensioned-off the plethora of talking heads it currently employs (does anyone listen to them?) then it would have ample funds to continue to provide a quality diversified service to sports viewers.
I will certainly be investigating how I can continue to access Europsort and in the meantime look forward to a reduction in my subscription to compensate for (1) the fact that I had to pay extra to get it in the first place and (2) for the consequential significant reduction in quality of Foxtel sport content.
I will also be keeping my options wide open in seeking alternative pay-TV services.
Any luck in finding alternate ways of watchingEurosport?
Will this mean no more Snooker on Foxtel?
Yep
No cycling, Equestrian or snow sport = No sport channel from Foxtel. To many soccer & football channels
Foxtel could ditch Sky News, Sky Weather & Fox News instead of Eurosport, Discovery Kids & Discovery Science.
looks like i’ll have to get a VPN so i can get access tothe Eurosport player as you can’t access it from Australia because we’re blocked
sucked in aus is rubbish, just like telstra foxtel now has to be a cheap option, no more spending big on gayfl and cricket 2 most dumbest sports, who pays for foxtel to get afl and rugby how sad, aussie sports are rubbish, just watch highlights, also cycling yeah thats exciting like cricket pfft snorefest
Goodbye Foxtel. Eurosport was the only channel worth watching. Hey Eurosport player hows about removing your Aus Geo Block
Try using a VPN for Eurosport.
I’ve tried using a VPN for the many alpine and nordic skiing events that Foxtel doesn’t show. However, Eurosport won’t give access unless payment comes from a European bank account.
Foxtel has now ditched its only coverage of the most significant Olympic sport – athletics. The world athletics championships on Eurosport in 2019 were sensational. Eurosport also gave us coverage of all Diamond League meetings and a wide range of marathons. It is stunning to believe that we will now have no live coverage of athletics available in Australia.
This was a stunning decision comparable only to giving up the Premier League.
I will see out my current subscription then I am out
How can Kayo be there analysis when hardly any content from Eurosports is on Kayo anyway? I watch Eurosports for live Snooker and that is also not available on Kayo. Foxtel is truly crap and what a rubbish decision to make ditching Eurosports.
Drive costs out of our business (content) = drive customers out of our business.
Goodbye snooker, goodbye cycling, goodbye FOXTEL
I have been a Foxtel viewer from their beginning. Never been more disappointed on hearing they are dropping Eurosport. Shattered!
I am extremely p—— off. The only sports channel that I watch on a consistent basis re sport. Take one of the espn channels off. Who wants to watch endless games of gridiron and basketball from colleges I never heard of. Seriously reconsidering my subscription.
Went to Foxtell because they took cricket, love snooker as well, looks like I will be trying other ways to get snooker & if successful good bye Foxtell
I went to Foxtel years back when I returned to Aust.
To say I am annoyed would be an understatement with continuing loss of anything sports wise that is not cricket, AFL or RL … if it is not mainstream sport they are not interested.
To lose Eurosport is almost the final nail in their coffin, I am sick and tired of losing the things I am interested in and getting bombarded with endless crap, what is next, A-league and from what have heard they would get out of that if they could.
Poor performance Foxtel, but I bet they do jack about appeasing the masses, they just dont give a crap about us, just the almighty dollar.
Sad …. last one out turn off the lights
Absolute rubbish,first you dump English premier league,now Eurosport,yet you still charge the same.
I am absolutely disappointed that you again cut a major channel from my subscription. First you take off 601 (Business Channel) and now 511 (Eurosport). I am not interested in watching the constant rounds and replays of AFL Football, Rugby, Golf, Gridiron, Basketball and Cricket. I pay good money to watch Snooker and Winter sports from Europe etc. Maybe it is time to just watch "Free to Air" channels and give Foxtel the flick.
Have always loved winter sports on Eurosport channel especially the alpine skiing events. In fact its my favourite sports channel. Not everyone wants endless games of cricket, football, car racing, basketball blah, blah.
what a load of bull I love my snooker and have been watching all the games,and seeing Robinson win was a bonus, now we can’t watch it, do we get a discount for all the channels we are losing,I have the full package and it is getting worse
You know how to ruin a business.
No Eurosport = NO Snooker, NO cycling.
Already taken Premier league from us along with the best motorsport in the world NASCAR now this!
Screw you Foxtel I have had enough.
ive had foxtel since it started. But now no Eurosport – Cycling, Athletics…ill be cancelling just before my next due date.
Thanks for asking or telling me Foxtel.
First I found out about it, was when it wasn’t there.
thanks for looking after you loyal customers.
Not happy, but what do you care, take my money, any run away with channels I watch
Mark
Slowly cancelling everything I watch. Time to review what I pay for which appears to be not much good content. How about getting rid of the dozens of crap content channels and keep Eurosport.
I too am going to review my subscription to Foxtel, it is getting more and more worthless.
I agree with all the comments below you realy know how to run a business take Eurosport away then the rest is crap thank you nothing
Charlie
Agree with the views expressed here. Got rid of Foxtel over a year ago. Eurosport are broadcasting the British speedway this year just as Australian Jason Crump 3 time world champion returns to the sport. I would sooner pay for Eurosport than Foxtel anyday.
Got Eurosport through Fetch TV – ditched Foxtel day after they announced no Eurosport deal – couldn’t be happier , saving some $$$$$
The biggest Cycling events are about to begin in Europe and Foxtel rids of Eurosport, what a joke! Who was the bright spark that made this decision??? DUH!