Top Aussie comedian Fergus Neal is left shocked as he learns the REAL cost of watching AFL and NRL in a pub

An Australian entertainer and footy instrumentality has slammed Foxtel, claiming its pricing has made it excessively costly for pubs to amusement NRL and AFL games. 

Fergus Neal is an Australian comedian known for his unrecorded shows, viral TikToks and TV appearances. He co-hosts the podcast On It Off It and tours nationally.

In 1 of his astir caller TikTok posts, helium said helium was 'hard off' Australian pubs not showing the footy anymore due to the fact that they can't spend it. 

'Why is Rupert Murdoch trying to halt mundane Australians from watching footy astatine the pub?' helium asked.

'I went to a pub successful Fitzroy yesterday with immoderate friends and each the screens were black.

'I'm like, OK, is the system that atrocious wherever the TVs are nary longer moving successful the pubs?

'We spell up to the bartender, we accidental 'my man, tin you delight enactment the Essendon and Sydney crippled on'.

'He says 'I privation I could but Rupert Murdoch is charging america $4000 to play footy astatine the pub.

'We're similar what? He said, "We tried to bash it sneakily and past Kayo sent america a cease and desist".'

Australian licensed venues, specified arsenic pubs and clubs, typically wage betwixt $1700 and $1800 per period for a Foxtel Business subscription that includes unrecorded NRL and AFL broadcasts.

Larger venues successful metropolitan areas similar Sydney and Melbourne are slugged with higher costs owed to factors similar venue size and the fig of screens, with premium packages perchance exceeding $2000 per month.

For Neal, and the Fitzroy pub helium went to, the costs person proved excessively overmuch to springiness fans what they want.  

'Why is Rupert Murdoch trying to ticker radical from watching the footy?' Neal asked.

'Can you conscionable fto the peasants spell to the pub and ticker the football. Rupy, fto the peasants person a small bit, springiness america immoderate cake, fto america devour immoderate barroom and ticker the footy.'

Neal attracted plentifulness of enactment for his appeal.

'Free the footy,' 1 follower posted.

'Actually devastating that we can’t ticker the footy without paying now,' lamented another.

'It's cheaper to spell to the existent games now. that's truthful messed up,' pointed retired another.

'Its un-Australian. Can't adjacent ticker our ain game,' posted yet another.

Channel 7, the free-to-air broadcaster of the AFL, besides chimed successful with a cheeky comment.

'Live and escaped connected 7,' the network's societal media squad posted with a winking emoji.

Not everyone felt that the pubs were being hard done by, though, pointing retired they made plentifulness of gross from thirsty footy fans by showing the games.

'I deliberation astatine $12 a pint they tin spend $4k period for sports. Probably conscionable an planetary proprietor and a manager that hates sports fans,' 1 footy instrumentality pointed out.

'I was astatine the pub and adjacent a vessel of chips present is $17,' added another.

'At $8 a schooner u would request to merchantability 500 to recoup ya wealth ... Release the footy,' posted yet another.

There could beryllium immoderate respite for pubs and footy fans successful the coming months, though, with a caller subordinate to beryllium mounting the prices for Foxtel and Kayo successful Australian pubs.

In April 2025, News Corp completed the merchantability of its Australian pay-TV and streaming business, Foxtel Group - which includes Kayo Sports - to planetary sports streaming level DAZN for $3.4billion.

But it remains unclear if the European elephantine volition marque the work much affordable for Aussie pubs.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Foxtel and DAZN for comment.