Crio’s Q? – you have to pay to watch the play

I have FOX.
“free-to-air” just doesn’t provide for my preferences.

Cricket from the Windies? yep
Golf? tick
NBA? sure
International soccer? oui
AFL during the “bye”? of course
racing…well, we’ll have to see!

I subscribe to FOX.
I drive on toll roads.
I’d even pay $5 to go to a doctor.

I want. I use. I pay.
Why wouldn’t you?

Comments

  1. Chalkdog says

    Eddie commentating

  2. Dave Brown says

    Even one cent of my income going to Rupert Murdoch

  3. The commercial stations might be free but the shite they carry on with is interminable!

    The improvement from Channel 10’s half-arsed F1 coverage, to Foxtel’s piggybacking of SkyF1 is a classic example of getting what you pay for. Minimal ads, no sponsored interviews, no celebrity lounges, just nuts and bolts analysis and news of Formula 1. Brilliant!

    I’m all for Pay TV. I’d be ok with the toll roads except you’re effectively paying to sit in a traffic jam, as anyone who uses the Bolte Bridge after 7am will tell you.

    I’m not with you on the GP co-payment though, brother!

  4. The debacle in this country with TVN (ex), Sky/Tabcorp and the racing clubs is a disgrace. They carry on like kids….anyone know what this shit fight is on about this time? Have Sky not come to an agreement with the Vic clubs again? Isn’t this the same crap as last time years ago when TVN was starting up?

    Channel 7 full time with races ? Lord forbid…..unless they pulled over some racing personalities to run it, i.e. Dufficy, Zerafa etc. Can you imagine having to put up with Bruce, Simon Marshall and that Freedman girl talking about fashion every week and forgetting their was actually a race meeting on?? Probably even have the occasional visit from Kochie so he can give his “tips” for the day.

    I also pay for Austar, so I don’t have to put up with these serial pests.

  5. I’m sure many would like to pay if they didn’t have to have the 364 useless channels we have to put up with in the basic package (does anyone watch any of the financial channels for instance)? I’m happy enough at this stage to cough up $15 to watch on the phone anyway given half the time I’m on the road or playing/running.

  6. Like you Crio i have, i pay, for FOX to get my sporting coverage. User pays is a mantra of our current era. That is of course unless, you’re a miner, or a large multi-national corporation, etc, etc.

    Glen!

  7. Terry Towelling says

    People cry foul over every game not being on free TV, but such a situation has never existed. Only a couple of generations ago, there was no live footy on TV whatsoever.

    I’ve never heard of anyone complaining about having to pay to enter a ground and watch a game of footy, but if they want to watch at home, it has to be free and gratis. Then when they are sitting at home watching footy on free-to-air commercial TV, they complain about the number of ads.

  8. E.regnans says

    Fair enough, Crio.
    “Choice” is the mantra of the age.
    Of course the rise of individualism at the expense of collective good is a (related) feature of the age.

    You could mount an argument that free-to-air coverage of football is good for the game, as it maximises the audience. No one is shut out at the (financially guarded) gate. Big bash cricket, netball and basketball would all mount that argument.
    So would A-League.

    The trouble with payTV is that only those with time and money to spare will contemplate it. Lots are left out. And thus we set up the haves and the have nots. Those rich in money and/or time become those richer in resources and (maybe) become those richer in experience for watching it*.

    It’s not equitable. There’s certainly no equality of opportunity.
    It’s a classic of political ideology.

    At least this is only TV, and nothing important – such as user pays education, or user pays health care. Imagine.

    *that’s the theory, but it’s a dubious last point. I don’t watch payTV and am happy about it, believing myself experientially richer for it, too. Happier to read, write, chat, explore music etc with any time & money I find.

  9. Well spoken, E.regnans,

    Glen!

  10. For me, the cost of pay TV, primarily to get racing is offset by reducing my losses to a degree that exceeds the monthly cost of the service. The IQ box is fantastic and I can watch replays any time on a big screen rather than my tiny laptop. I’m more than happy to pay for that and now that it is only on Sky ( every meeting in the world except Vic meetings), I can easily mute it when I want to ( most of the time unless a race is on) and get the bonus of more footy games, better quality footy shows, more golf, more cricket etc. etc…..
    I understand the point about equality but somewhere deep down I really like the fact that I have something that 90% of Port and Collingwood supporters don’t.

  11. I am with you 100% ERegnans about the quality of life tradeoff from our decision NOT to have Pay TV. But it is a slippery slope. We got a Fetch Box from our ISP when the DVD recorder died. Which made Netflix for $12 a month a no-brainer. We gorged on House of Cards but I have retired to the study while the Avenging Eagle consumes 3 seasons of Orange is the New Black.
    But I am not without sin myself. I paid $20 for one month to get ESPN on the Fetch Box during the NBA Playoffs. Now they tell me July is “Documentary Month” on ESPN and I have been recording all of the amazing 30 for 30 docos that ESPN has made. (Much cheaper than the DVD box set).
    But will I have the strength of character to cancel come August?

  12. Luke Reynolds says

    I’m in agreeance with you Crio. I’ve had Pay-TV for years, pretty much only for sport, and couldn’t live without it. Very happy to pay to see things like Australian cricket series’ overseas and the EPL and A-League that aren’t available on FTA.
    The recent price drop has been an added bonus.

  13. So you have all you teeth then Jock?

  14. yeah Luke, it is an easy option… how about the golf today?

  15. its all overated sport on pay tv,thats why I get off my bum and watch my kids play country football and netball,fresh air is good for everyone,+ supporting local community

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