Kayo Sports has announced a restructuring of its subscription model, along with more price increases, will take place from February 14, 2024. While this may sound like a downer right from the off, the good news is that the streamer has announced that it will finally be introducing 4K content to its service (a month later – although a specific March date is yet TBC), rectifying one of our biggest pet peeves in the process.
Currently, Kayo Sports offers three subscription tiers: One, Basic and Premium, with the only real major difference between them being the number of screens you stream simultaneously on: one, two or three. This is all set to change come Valentine’s Day (an act of love?) as Kayo will soon be offering just two tiers: One and Basic.
Those naming choices are slightly confusing, as Kayo One is technically the more basic of the two, providing customers with just one HD stream at a time for AU$25p/m. Kayo Basic is the more premium tier, allowing for two simultaneous streams for AU$35p/m (a AU$5 p/m increase over the current Kayo Basic) but crucially, this tier will include 4K content for the first time.
I would’ve called these new tiers Basic and Premium, but I’m sure this was discussed in the Kayo boardroom and there’s a perfectly good explanation as to why this isn’t the case.
No more Premium subs
That means the current Kayo Premium tier will be no more and if you head to the Kayo Sports website right now, you’ll find you can no longer sign up for it. Kayo has said current Kayo Premium subscribers will be automatically migrated to Kayo Basic. In doing so, these customers will lose the ability to stream on three simultaneous screens, dropping to two instead, and they will also see their monthly subscription cost increase from AU$30 to AU$35. This new AU$35 fee will take effect from February 14.
As is the case with most streaming service price increases, Kayo has said its reasoning is so it can “invest in bringing the biggest and best sports from around the world to our customers, as well as continually improve the product experience like launching 4K.”
Said 4K content has been promised from March 2024, and while the streaming service hasn’t been super specific on what this will entail, Kayo has promised that NRL, AFL, cricket and most excitingly (in my opinion) Formula 1 will be among the sports that will stream in 4K. Some 1,000 hours of content has been earmarked for the service and Kayo has said “more specific information will be available closer to launch.”
Of course, to take advantage of the pending 4K sports streams, you’ll need a compatible device. Fortunately, there are plenty of those, and Kayo provides a full list on its website. You’ll also need a stable internet connection, and so if 4K Formula 1 has you salivating as much as it does us, you may want to check out the best NBN plans to ensure your service will be up to speed.
Analysis: is it worth paying extra for your sports fix?
Kayo Sports is without doubt one of the best streaming services in Australia, being home to the vast majority of the most popular sports, including NRL, AFL and Formula 1 – you can check out our in-depth Kayo Sports review to find out more. But nobody ever really likes a price hike, although it could very well be argued that, in this instance, it’s warranted.
We’re now spoilt for choice when it comes to 4K content across other streamers, with a solid proportion of movies and TV shows being available in 4K and/or Dolby Vision, depending on the service you subscribe to. Better still, some of these services – Disney Plus, Apple TV and Prime Video – offer it at no extra charge.
But 4K sports is something that’s been missing for some time, so the prospect is certainly very tempting. 4K sports streaming is currently possible on Foxtel in Australia, but this will set you back a minimum of AU$54p/m via the Foxtel Now streaming service, or a minimum of AU$77p/m as part of a Foxtel's feature-packed set-top box subscription package.
I’m personally not a subscriber to Kayo Sports. The added cost on top of the other services I subscribe to, coupled with time zone differences (and lack of interest in most of the available sports) means it just doesn’t get my juices flowing.
But, having watched Netflix’s stupendous Formula One documentary series Drive to Survive in 4K, definitely has me considering subscribing to Kayo Sports, even if just for a month (there is a 7-day free trial available for new subscribers to test the waters). To me, Formula 1 racing in 4K is the current pinnacle of television. You may disagree, but you’d be wrong.
One of my other colleagues is keen to watch SailGP in 4K, but that might be a pipe dream if Kayo doesn’t increase its 4K content library. And that’s something to keep in mind too – while 1,000 hours might seem like a decent chunk of 4K content, it’s possible that what you really are keen on might remain in HD. So is the price hike worth it?
I wouldn’t be surprised if some current subscribers baulk at the price increase to AU$35 . It’s a lot of money to pay for just one service and makes Kayo Sports the most expensive in Australia. YouTube Premium announced a AU$10 price hike towards the end of 2023, putting it at AU$33p/m, so Kayo now takes the crown by AU$2.
But if you’re a die-hard sports fan, are well-invested in the content available on Kayo Sports currently and have been itching to watch those sports in glorious 4K, then an extra AU$5 to AU$10 per month could be money well spent.
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