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FOXTEL is Australia's leading subscription
television provider and is connected to over 1.63
million subscribing households on cable and
satellite through retail and wholesale distribution.
FOXTEL strives to ensure our six million viewers
find TV they want to watch every time they switch on
their television through delivery of more than 200
channels covering news, sport, general
entertainment, movies, documentaries, music and
children’s programming.
FOXTEL commenced distributing its services on cable
with 20 channels in 1995, expanding to 31 channels
and satellite distribution in 1999 and increased its
offering to 45 channels in 2002 following the
completion of the FOXTEL-Optus Content Supply
Agreement.
The FOXTEL Digital service was launched in 2004, and
FOXTEL is now giving Australian viewers the choice
of more than 200 Digital channels. Since its launch,
FOXTEL has extended its Digital innovations by
adding a raft of new channels and interactive
features including additional news, sports and
weather applications, as well as FOXTEL iQ, a fully
integrated Personal Digital Recorder, launched in
2005.
FOXTEL launched its mobile service – Telstra Mobile
FOXTEL in 2006 which now carries 33 channels and is
one of the world’s most substantial mobile
offerings. The live broadcast service FOXTEL
Live2Air on Virgin Blue was launched in August 2006
and is now available across Australia on the Virgin
Blue jet fleet providing 24 channels of live FOXTEL.
FOXTEL launched its High Definition service in June
2008 with five dedicated 24-hour HD channels- BBC
HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic Channel HD,
FOX SPORTS HD and ESPN HD plus Australian television
premiere blockbuster movies available immediately
when you want them through the FOXTEL Box Office HD
On Demand service.
The new generation FOXTEL iQ2 combines HD
programming with a huge disk drive and intuitive and
easy to use electronic programming guide making it
even easier for subscribers to watch what they want
and when they want.
FOXTEL launched FOXTEL Next Generation in November
2009 which provides customers with: the increased
choice of 30 new channels; new navigation features
such as iSuggest – which enhances navigation with
200 fresh movie and program suggestions for iQ
recording every week – and Record Me – which allows
you to record shows directly from an on-air program
promotion; the most comprehensive HD offering in
Australia with 15 HD channels; and Sky News Local
which provides a dedicated local news service for
each major Australian capital city.
In 2010 FOXTEL announced a ground breaking
partnership with Microsoft to offer around 30 FOXTEL
channels over the internet direct to our customers’
television sets via Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE product.
FOXTEL and Microsoft aim to launch the new service
towards the end of the calendar year. FOXTEL will
offer FOXTEL by Xbox LIVE with various packaging and
prices and under flexible agreements.
FOXTEL will also launch in late 2010 FOXTEL services
over the internet direct to FOXTEL customers’
television sets via around 780,000 deployed internet
enabled iQ boxes. This new service will be launched
towards the end of this calendar year. The service
will offer customers even more choice and control
over their television viewing, liberating a video
store of choice with hundreds of On Demand movies
and television programs.
FOXTEL was the first Australian broadcaster to
broadcast in 3D in conjunction with FOX SPORTS when
the Socceroos played New Zealand on 24 May, 2010. In
addition, FOXTEL will be the first broadcaster to
offer Australians a dedicated 3D channel – FOXTEL 3D
– on air from November 2010. Also from November,
FOXTEL’s comprehensive HD offering expands to 20 HD
channels, including FOXTEL 3D.
FOXTEL directly employs around 2100 people and a
further 1700 workers are indirectly engaged by
FOXTEL in sales and installation services
nationally.
The FOXTEL Television Centre at North Ryde in Sydney
is the headquarters of FOXTEL's national
subscription television operations and houses
FOXTEL’s television studios, broadcast operations
and cable and satellite transmission facilities.
FOXTEL also operates a national Customer Solutions
Centre based at Moonee Ponds in Melbourne, a purpose
built state of the art call centre.
FOXTEL is owned by Telstra Corporation Ltd (50%),
The News Corporation Ltd (25%), and Consolidated
Media Holdings Limited (25%).
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