 | |
| Type of business | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
Type of site | Over-the-top media service |
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | Gore Hill,New South Wales, |
| Area served | Australia |
| Owner | Access Industries |
| CEO | Hilary Perchard[1] |
| Products | |
| Services | Sports television distribution |
| Parent | Hubbl |
| URL | kayosports |
| Registration | Required |
| Users |  1.606 million (June 2024)[2] |
| Launched | 26 November 2018; 7 years ago (2018-11-26) |
| Current status | Active |
Kayo Sports is an Australianover-the-topvideo streaming service owned byHubbl, a subsidiary ofFoxtel. Launched in November 2018, the service is oriented towards sports, carrying live and on-demand content from Foxtel'sFox Sports networks, and third-party partners such asESPN Australia andRacing.com.
In March 2018 it was reported Foxtel were investigating an over-the-top sports streaming service to appeal to customers not willing to subscribe to traditional satellite or cable. At the time the service had reportedly been in development for more than nine months but was yet to begreen lit. It was reported the new service would not use the Foxtel branding.[3] In August 2018 it was reported Foxtel had green lit this new sports streaming service, which wascode namedProject Martian. It was predicted the service would launch in late 2018 coinciding with a cricket event following Foxtel's recent new six year broadcasting deal withCricket Australia.[4][5]
In October 2018, it was reported the service was originally planned to launch in early November but was delayed until early December in order to conduct further testing to avoid technical issues similar to those experienced byOptus Sport for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[6] On 5 November 2018 it was reported Foxtel were exploring includingESPN andbeIN Sports in the service which was rumored to be calledKayo Sports.[7]
On 9 November 2018, it was announced that the new service would be called Kayo Sports and launched inbeta that day. At launch, the service offered over 50 sports from Fox Sports, ESPN and beIN Sports networks live and on demand. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany described the service as the "Netflix of sport".[8] Following a positive reception to the beta launch, Kayo Sports officially launched on 26 November 2018.[9][10]
In May 2019, Kayo Sports addedRacing.com.[11]
In February 2021,Telstra, part owner of parent company Foxtel, replaced theirTelstra Live Pass service in theNational Rugby League andAustralian Football League mobile apps, which offered streaming of games, with access to Kayo Sports.[12]
In May 2021, Kayo Sports exceeded 1 million total subscribers, with paying subscribers expected to reach that milestone imminently.[13]
In May 2023, it was announced that beIN Sports content would no longer be available on either Foxtel or Kayo Sports platforms from July 2023.[14]
In December 2024, UK-based sports streaming providerDAZN announced its intent to acquire Foxtel for $3.4 billion, in a sale that will include Kayo Sports.[15]
| Date | Paying subscribers | Total subscribers | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| As of February 2019 | 100,000 | 115,000 | [16] |
| As of 30 June 2019 | 331,000 | 382,000 | [16] |
| As of November 2019 | 402,000 | 443,000 | [17] |
| As of 5 February 2020 | 340,000[a] | [18] | |
| As of 31 March 2020 | 404,000 | 440,000 | [19] |
| As of 2 May 2020 | 272,000[b] | [19] | |
| As of 30 June 2020 | 419,000[c] | 465,000 | [20] |
| As of 4 August 2020 | 542,000 | 590,000 | [20] |
| As of 31 December 2020[update] | 624,000 | [21] | |
| As of 31 March 2021[update] | 851,000 | 914,000 | [22] |
| As of 7 May 2021[update] | 1,000,000+ | [13] | |
| As of 8 August 2022[update] | 1,293,000 | 1,312,000+ | [23] |
| As of 11 August 2023[update] | 1,401,000 | 1,411,000+ | [24] |
| As of 23 June 2024[update] | 1,525,000 | 1,512,000+ |
The following channels are available on Kayo Sports:[25]
Kayo Sports' first original program,Below the Bonnet, premiered in March 2021. The weeklySupercars Championship themed talk show is hosted byDavid Reynolds andMichael Caruso.[26]
Kayo Sports offers a three tier subscription model, one, basic or premium, the difference being the number of simultaneous device streams. One for one, two for basic, three for premium.[27] Kayo Sports is available via web browser, mobile app (Android and iOS), and on selected smart televisions and media consoles.[28]
In January 2021 Kayo Sports started offering free access to selected sports and programs under the bannerKayo Freebies as a way of increasing subscribers.[29] Sports included under the banner include: theMount Panorama 500,[29] selectedA-League games,[29] selectedW-League games,[29] twoSuncorp Super Netball games a round plusAustralian Diamonds games,[30] and all sports supported under the Federal Government'sWomen's, Niche and Other Under-Represented Sports grants.[31]
In recent days, Kayo exceeded 1 million total subscribers, with paying subscribers expected to reach that milestone imminently. A strong summer of cricket and the start of the dominant winter sports saw Kayo generate more momentum.
News Corp today released its fiscal Q4 results and full year earnings, including Foxtel financials highlighting growth in the subscription video services segment.
