Telus is taking a swipe at rival Bell over streaming bundles, saying its competitor is late to the game.
“We thought it was interesting that Bell followed our lead to bundle streaming services,” a Telus spokesperson told iPhone in Canada in a statement on Monday.
Telus pointed to its Stream+ package, which it says was the first of its kind in Canada. “Telus’ Stream+ is Canada’s first streaming bundle, combining Canadian’s favourite streaming services Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video plus Telus Films & Series in one unbeatable package.”
Stream+ launched in 2022 and available nationwide to all Telus and Koodo customers, and offers subscribers access to all of their favourite content plus a full Amazon Prime membership for as little as $23 per month, pointed out the Telus spokesperson .
Telus added that the bundle has grown since its launch. “To give our customers even more of the content they love, we’ve expanded Stream+ with a growing list of add-ons like Apple TV+, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Hayu, Sportsnet+ and more – with additional savings of up to 10% when added to the Stream+ bundle.”
Yesterday, Bell announced new streaming bundles that package its own Crave service with Netflix and Disney+. The company said customers could save up to 25% compared to paying for the services separately.
The bundles launched immediately for Bell Internet, TV, and home phone subscribers in Ontario and Quebec, with access for Bell Mobility customers expected this fall. Prices start at $22 per month for a basic ad-supported bundle and reach $49 per month for the ad-free premium option. Two-service bundles were also introduced, such as Crave paired with Netflix or Crave with Disney+, with discounts ranging from 16% to 25%.
Telus and Bell continue to fight with each other, as last month Telus countersued Bell for $1 million as part of a fibre internet showdown. Bell has continued to blast Telus, saying the telecom should build its own network instead of leveraging the CRTC’s new wholesale internet decision.
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Not sure why the Telus spokesperson is so upset. If these Telus bundles are truly “unbeatable” as they claim, then Bell’s offers should be of no concern to them. Could it be that perhaps these “unbeatable” bundles don’t actually offer as much value as Telus claims?
Especially as they usually include low-tier plans that are riddled with buggy ads and poor quality video? Or because many users would rather swap services in and out as they watch content on each one, rather than pay for all of them all at once? And just wait until customers find out that Telus’s aggressive and dishonest salespeople often neglect to mention that sometimes the customer will be locked into subscribing to the streaming service bundle for a period of time, even when they don’t want to be or are not interested in the content anymore…
I don't think they're upset at all. I think they're pointing out the obvious…that Bell's revolutionary move was simply copying something that Telus/Koodo started back in 2022.
I also don't see anything in the terms with Telus/Koodo that you're locked into Stream +…admittedly, I haven't read all the fine print…but, I have both Telus and Koodo accounts in my family, and have canceled and gone between Stream + offers when promotions or changes in the offerings presented themselves, with no penalties.
what a weird flex…
"just to set the record straight, we were price gouging first. that was our idea."