Optus to start charging for Optus Sport. Is it time to switch mobile plans?
The new pricing for Optus Sport will be introduced on 1 August, so will Optus still be worth signing up to?
For as long as we can remember, Optus Sport has been one of the biggest selling points for many of Optus's phone plans.
However, this additional perk will soon cost customers from 1 August and become like any other paid streaming service we have in Australia.
How much will Optus Sport cost from August?
The price changes will come right in time for the new English Premier League season.
- Eligible Optus customers will be expected to pay $6.99 per month via Optus SubHub. That's an additional $83.88 each year on top of your Optus mobile plan fees.
- For everyone else, the monthly price will be $24.99 per month or $199 per year. This is similar to Kayo's starting price of $25.
Existing Optus customers will be contacted in the coming weeks about the change.
Will Optus mobile plans still be worth it?
If you've signed up to its phone plan just for Optus Sport, then this change will affect you the most.
Currently, you can get Optus Sport on any of its SIM-only plans. The cheapest one costs $45 a month for 20GB.
If you take the cheapest plan as an example, you'll end up paying $51.99 a month for the plan and Optus Sport subscription.
This could be an okay-ish cost to bear if you are an avid Premier League fan but...
Is there another option to get Optus Sport?
If you aren't tied to a handset repayment plan with Optus, you could consider switching to a cheaper mobile plan instead and getting Optus Sport separately.
Optus mobile plans aren't the cheapest around, and now, without Optus Sport tacked on for free, you could easily find similar plans for a cheaper price elsewhere.
The monthly subscription to Optus Sport will cost $24.99 for non-Optus customers. However, if you're committed, you could pay the annual fee of $199 (around $17 per month) which will save you $100.88 over a year.
So, what mobile plans can you get instead? Some great value options include:
- Circles.Life. 120GB for $25 a month for the first 12 months on the Optus network (exclusive to Finder).
- Dodo. 40GB for $20 a month for the first 3 months on the Optus network (exclusive to Finder).
- Kogan Mobile. 120GB for $120 a year on the Vodafone network. That's equivalent to 10GB for $10 a month.
- Woolworths Mobile. 12GB for $20 a month on the Telstra network.
You can search for other mobile plans that fit your budget and data needs better via our mobile comparison tables.
The bottom line
If you don't want to give up Optus Sport, we suggest comparing your options to find a cheaper mobile plan instead. That way, you might have to fork out extra costs for Optus Sport, but your plan fees will at least drop.
Keep in mind it's super easy to switch mobile plans, so you can always sign up to a good deal that will save you money over the next few months and switch to another plan after if you're unhappy.
Start comparing mobile phone plans and find a better deal for you today.
