Last week, we reported that Channel Nine is planning to simulcast its London Olympics coverage on its HDTV service, GEM.
As mentioned in that news piece, unlike previous Olympics, where Seven and SBS shared the rights, there’s only one free-to-air broadcaster this time around. So, unless Nine seeks and gains an exemption from anti-siphoning laws, it can’t broadcast an alternative Olympics stream on one of its digital channels.
This means that those who enjoyed watching long-form sports, such as football, cycling, basketball, volleyball, hockey and water polo, will either have to live without, or stump up for a Foxtel subscription.
As yet, though, details about Foxtel’s complementary coverage are limited. We know for certain that there will be eight HD channels during the course of the London games. What we don’t yet know is how much that package of channels will cost. As a guide, Foxtel offered a package of four channels for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics for AU$50 if you were an early adopter, or at AU$65 if you signed up closer to the date.
This leads, naturally, to the question: what’s the maximum you’re willing to pay for head-to-toe coverage of the Olympics in addition to whatever you’re already paying for Foxtel?
Let us know by voting in the poll to right and telling us in the comments section below.