Kayo / Binge / Flash News / Foxtel JSON Errors

[matthuisman]

They appear to be using Akamai AI bot detection to detect the behaviour of the addons and then blocking them.

I am taking a break from trying to fix as it's just too annoying.

If you want to help - contact all of them and tell them to stop unblocking. Also let them know if your official apps also sometimes are blocked (false positives)

More pressure = more likely they get rid of this stupidness

[CV8R]

Foxtel you need to sort this out. Using your native apps is an appalling user experience and you just hiked the price. Time for a rethink.

[hansenandrew]

Tried to send a complaint through but guess what, they have a bot asking the questions as well. Surprise, surprise. I will keep trying to get in contact

[DDH69]

Thanks Matt. Agreed, madness. I just logged my security issues (and disappointment) with both the official and unofficial addon.

[CV8R]

This may be irrelevant but an interesting data point. I have a Kodi install that almost never gets turned on. I disconnected the ethernet, booted it up, held back all the updates and systematically updated Kodi, inputstream, merge, common and held back Kayo. It is early days and I will try again tomorrow but I was able to change between channels without any Kayo related issues. Occasional widevine error and a often blank screen with audio only, video was restored 100% when i skipped forward 10-30s. Otherwise appeared to be working for live and vod content and no login or denied errors. I will try it again over the next few days and report back the Kayo version tomorrow.

Maybe irrelevant in that I would be one user but possibly something in it.

[austreams]

enjoy while it lasts the bot manager will soon block you mate

[aerans]

I've emailed a complaint also. Hopefully a human will read it.

This issue is particularly annoying as Kayo supports about 20 different platforms. Why discriminate here? Could it be that the supported apps collect data about the users and Matt's plugin doesn't? I can't think of any other reason to prevent access by legitimate users.

We'll see if anything happens. I'm not holding my breath.

[davecham76]

I will send in a complaint. They are idiots as their UI is terrible and Kayo seems to have better video quality in Kodi as opposed to the browser. Their tv app keeps buffering so that is useless aswell.

[davecham76]

I just checked kayo and it worked... Lets see how long for but hopefully they have fixed their stupidity. Matt will let you know after a few days if its still working

[jmskau]

Reply from Kayo ...

"Thanks for reaching out to us. I understand that you want to use your device to stream. However, upon checking, Kodi is not compatible to stream on Kayo. Please see the article below from our help centre to check what are the compatible device that you can use" blah blah

I have cancelled Kayo subscription as a result

Thanks for your hard work Matt!

[davecham76]

OK this is random but it worked for Kodi

• Click the channel or video
• Instead of highest I selected Bypass
• It worked but not when selecting Best

@jmskau before they cut your sub give that a try

[davecham76]

crap not long after posting it stopped again.

[davecham76]

Just messaged Kayo asking why they allow apple tv and not kodi. told them I will cancel and I know others who will as well. These providers wonder why they lose subscriptions to overseas providers when using vpn. Australia is so far behind with everything apart from screwing people.

[hansenandrew]

Just sent my complaint email to them. This is the email address complaints@kayosports.com.au Here is a copy of my email if anyone wants to use it happy for you to copy it.

Frustration with Akamai AI Bot Blocking 3rd Party Apps

Dear Kayo/Binge I wanted to bring to your attention an issue I've been facing with the use of the Akamai AI bot on the Kayo and Binge platform. While I understand the importance of security measures, I believe that the current implementation is causing significant inconveniences for users like me.

As an avid Kayo/Binge user, I appreciate the convenience your platform offers for streaming sports content. However, I must express my frustration with the recent restrictions placed on 3rd party apps due to the Akamai AI bot. In my case, I have been relying on a 3rd party app to access Kayo content because, to be honest, I have found the Kayo/Binge apps itself to be less user-friendly and less feature-rich than some of its competitors.

The third-party app I use has been a reliable alternative for me, allowing me to enjoy a more seamless experience while accessing Kayo's content. Unfortunately, with the recent changes, I have found that this app is now blocked by the Akamai AI bot, making it impossible for me to use it.

I understand the need for security and the protection of your content, but I believe there must be a way to strike a balance between security and user experience. While I appreciate your commitment to protecting your platform, it's equally important to cater to the needs and preferences of your users.

I kindly request that you reconsider the restrictions imposed by the Akamai AI bot on 3rd party apps or explore alternative methods to enhance security without limiting the choices of your users. This would not only improve the user experience but also allow loyal customers like me to continue enjoying your content through the means that suit us best.

I hope you understand my concerns, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter. Your attention to this issue would be greatly appreciated, and I believe it would go a long way in ensuring the continued satisfaction of Kayo's user base.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[davecham76]

@hansenandrew that's a great email, mine is so crap lol

Nicely worded can't wait to see what responses we get

[hansenandrew]

@davecham76 Thanks mate. Hopefully if a heap of people complain they will fix it. I have been using Matt's apps for years and never had an issue with them. These big corporate companies don't really give a shit about their customers, it's all about control and controlling everything.

[davecham76]

@hansenandrew agree on everything you wrote.

[davecham76]

Response from Kodi Hi David,

Thank you for getting in touch with our support team.

Kayo is only supported on selected devices and operating systems. Certain features and/or functionality may not be available on certain devices from time to time. You may be able to view Kayo through models, devices or operating systems that we don't support, however, you may not be able to enjoy the best of Kayo.

To see supported devices and web browsers you can check this link: https://help.kayosports.com.au/s/article/What-devices-can-I-use-to-stream-Kayo

Let us know if we can help you with anything further. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with you. Have a good one!

Cheers, Kari

Your Support Crew

MY RESPONSE Hi Kari,

You are actually blocking the best app to view Kodi and enjoy it. I have no issues with you not supporting it however blocking Kayo through Kodi is removing a great UX which is something that your supported options don't give. UI is only one part of UX so it's not a quick conversation.

Could you please follow up and ask why Kodi is blocked. Again don't care about it being supported, just don't want it blocked.

Regards

Dave

[davecham76]

KAYO RESPONSE

Hi there,

Thanks for getting back to us, I understand that you want to Stream on Kayo using your Kodi.

Please be informed that even Kodi is legal to access and an open software, there might be some features that will be not available when you use Kodi as your media player and can cause to much error on the end of the user.

However, we do have compatible browser and device where you can use with ease to stream kayo. You may check it here in this link: https://help.kayosports.com.au/s/article/What-devices-can-I-use-to-stream-Kayo .

For real time assistance between 8:30am - 11pm AET, chat to our K-Bot or one of our skilled Support Crew. To do so, click here and select the ‘Live Chat Now’ button in the middle of the screen or visit our help website https://help.kayosports.com.au/s.

Have a wonderful day ahead and stay safe.

Cheers, Mark

YET ANOTHER FRUSTRATED RESPONSE FROM ME

Hi Mark,

Honestly you guys need to listen. Don't care if some features are not available because it's still better UX.

Good way to frustrate customers is to not listen then tell them to use the AI chatbot and then once that can't work things out escalate to someone who will say the same rubbish and not listen.

Are you all just reading off a script and using false names to hide using an outsourced international call centre?

[davecham76]

Might be getting somewhere now - hope this helps others

Hi David,

Thanks for getting back in touch with us.

We would like to take your concern as feedback for the improvement of Kayo and for a review regarding your issue with Kayo being blocked on Kodi.

Case ID: 02781232

Cheers, Colin

[hansenandrew]

@davecham76 Great work, keep hassling them. I haven't heard back from them yet.

[davecham76]

@hansenandrew maybe they are taking yours more seriously as you articulated the email really well. Lets just hope that there is a great result for all parties. I love these plugins they are awesome, wish they all worked as well.

[aerans]

Kayo's response (bottom) and my rejoinder ...

Hi Vin,

Thanks for the reply. Respectfully, I think you're missing the point.

The Kodi plugin has had brief outages over the years, however, these have been quickly corrected. I've never had a Kayo 'feature' that I haven't been able to use. I willing take the risk that, on brief occasions, the plugin may not work. I wouldn't be contacting you if the plugin lacked in some way.

The issue here is that Kayo has started to actively block the plugin's use. Why is this? I'm a paid subscriber. I take the risk that it won't work and have faith in the developers that any issue will be promptly corrected. If I want to use an alternative then I have the right to take the risk it may have issues.

I respectively ask that Kayo cease actively blocking something that has worked well for some years.

I'll never contact you if the thing doesn't work, and if I did, you'd be well within you rights to tell me it's unsupported and it's my problem.

Tony Ransom

On 8/10/23 09:12, help@kayosports.com.au wrote:

Hi Anthony,

Thank you for reaching out. We understand that you're having technical issues streaming Kayo on your end. No worries, I'm here to help you.

Since you mentioned that you were able to stream Kayo previously with your OSMC device, it might be that it had ran on your device in the past however as we make continuous upgrades older systems may no longer able to keep up which is the reason we provide certain system requirements to make sure Kayo would run smoothly.

For you to be able to use and stream in Kayo we suggest using a compatible device. You may refer below to the list of devices compatible.

Mobile Apps:

Apple iPhone and iPad (iOS: 13+)
Android Mobile and tablet (Android 8.0+)

TV:

Apple TV: tsOS 13+
Android TV: 8.0+
Hisense TV (Selected 2019 - 2023 models)
Samsung TV (2017 and later models)
Telstra TV (TV1, TTV2, and TTV3)
Chromecast
LG TV (2018 models or later using webOS 4.0+)
Google TV: OS 8.0+
Amazon Fire TV Stick

Web browsers:

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge (MacOS 10.12+ and Windows 10)

Gaming consoles:

PlayStation 4&5

For reference: https://help.kayosports.com.au/s/article/What-devices-can-I-use-to-stream-Kayo

Apologies for the inconvenience. We hope for your patience and understanding on this matter. Stay safe always.

Cheers, Vin

Your Support Crew

[mickyt71]

Just sent a email to enquiries@foxtel.com.au to voice my frustration with problems using Kodi. Thanks to @hansenandrew as I borrowed his email template and modified for Foxtel below:

I wanted to bring to your attention an issue I've been facing with the use of the Akamai AI bot on Foxtel on demand. While I understand the importance of security measures, I believe that the current implementation is causing significant inconveniences for users like me.

As an avid Foxtel user, I appreciate the convenience your platform offers for streaming content on demand. However, I must express my frustration with the recent restrictions placed on 3rd party apps due to the Akamai AI bot. In my case, I have been relying on a 3rd party app to access Foxtel content because, to be honest, I have found the web based content itself to be less user-friendly and less feature-rich than some of its competitors, and prefer the benefits of being able to use a remote.

The third-party app I use has been a reliable alternative for me, allowing me to enjoy a more seamless experience while accessing Foxtel's content. Unfortunately, with the recent changes, I have found that this app is now blocked by the Akamai AI bot, making it impossible for me to use it.

I understand the need for security and the protection of your content, but I believe there must be a way to strike a balance between security and user experience. While I appreciate your commitment to protecting your platform, it's equally important to cater to the needs and preferences of your users.

I kindly request that you reconsider the restrictions imposed by the Akamai AI bot on 3rd party apps or explore alternative methods to enhance security without limiting the choices of your users. This would not only improve the user experience but also allow loyal customers like me to continue enjoying your content through the means that suit us best.

I hope you understand my concerns, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter. Your attention to this issue would be greatly appreciated, and I believe it would go a long way in ensuring the continued satisfaction of Foxtel's user base.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

[hansenandrew]

@mickyt71 Hope you get some joy from Foxtel.

[CV8R]

This may be irrelevant but an interesting data point. I have a Kodi install that almost never gets turned on. I disconnected the ethernet, booted it up, held back all the updates and systematically updated Kodi, inputstream, merge, common and held back Kayo. It is early days and I will try again tomorrow but I was able to change between channels without any Kayo related issues. Occasional widevine error and a often blank screen with audio only, video was restored 100% when i skipped forward 10-30s. Otherwise appeared to be working for live and vod content and no login or denied errors. I will try it again over the next few days and report back the Kayo version tomorrow.

Maybe irrelevant in that I would be one user but possibly something in it.

My older version of the Kayo addon Version 0.14.4 is still working for Live TV and VOD. I updated InputStream Adaptive and the black screen anomaly that skipping forward fixed is no loner occurring.

[maxxpower007]

Hey Matt,

Not sure if this will help, but just a quick comment to say that I had a problem with linking directly to the Kayo contents page through the browser (I would just get a black page with a spinner). This used to work before.

The only way I could 'fix it' was to go through the entire login process (login, select user, favorites).

I presume they must be either setting some cookie/session/local storage parameter, or using headers (referrer).

I will do some more investigations when I get some spare time...

[shtrom]

Got a similar answer from Binge. New features, older devices, check supported devices, yadda yadda. Honestly, I don't think I want to keep paying for a service that actively tries to prevents me from using it.

[coxy86]

I’ve also sent a email to enquiries@foxtel.com.au to voice my frustration with problems using Kodi. Thanks to @hansenandrew for providing the template used for the email. Hopefully the more of us that provide this feedback, someone at Foxtel will listen!!

[closewall]

You guys can keep complaining all you like, the reality is Foxtel doesn't want you using Kodi, and it's in their interest to make sure you use the Foxtel app.

They want you under their umbrella of tracking telemetry. Kodi doesn't help with that at all.

[shtrom]

Yep... I cancelled my account 🤷 -- Olivier Mehani @.***> Sent from my mobile, please excuse my brevity.

[coxy86]

Team, I don't suppose anyone would be able to share a photo or screenshot of what their manage device list looks like in Foxtel go if they have a Kodi instance in their list?

[mickyt71]

@coxy86 happy to do it if I know exactly what you mean? Are you talking how it shows up in Foxtels site? If so do you know how to actually navigate their crap site to find because I can't.

UPDATE:

I found it. Shows as Kodi

[coxy86]

Awesome, thanks @mickyt71

[scottydulton]

This may be irrelevant but an interesting data point. I have a Kodi install that almost never gets turned on. I disconnected the ethernet, booted it up, held back all the updates and systematically updated Kodi, inputstream, merge, common and held back Kayo. It is early days and I will try again tomorrow but I was able to change between channels without any Kayo related issues. Occasional widevine error and a often blank screen with audio only, video was restored 100% when i skipped forward 10-30s. Otherwise appeared to be working for live and vod content and no login or denied errors. I will try it again over the next few days and report back the Kayo version tomorrow. Maybe irrelevant in that I would be one user but possibly something in it.

My older version of the Kayo addon Version 0.14.4 is still working for Live TV and VOD. I updated InputStream Adaptive and the black screen anomaly that skipping forward fixed is no loner occurring.

@matthuisman is this something that would be relevant? could we roll back and test?

[CV8R]

This may be irrelevant but an interesting data point. I have a Kodi install that almost never gets turned on. I disconnected the ethernet, booted it up, held back all the updates and systematically updated Kodi, inputstream, merge, common and held back Kayo. It is early days and I will try again tomorrow but I was able to change between channels without any Kayo related issues. Occasional widevine error and a often blank screen with audio only, video was restored 100% when i skipped forward 10-30s. Otherwise appeared to be working for live and vod content and no login or denied errors. I will try it again over the next few days and report back the Kayo version tomorrow. Maybe irrelevant in that I would be one user but possibly something in it.

My older version of the Kayo addon Version 0.14.4 is still working for Live TV and VOD. I updated InputStream Adaptive and the black screen anomaly that skipping forward fixed is no loner occurring.

@matthuisman is this something that would be relevant? could we roll back and test?

I tried it again today and get "Failed to fetch auth token".

[JCalvi]

Been fiddling a bit and can get it to work for all VOD files 100% Live files also always work but can take anywhere from 1 to 10 tries.

Changes are below to api and plugin: They are inserting random times in the license request and random UDID for each request. I don't get any JSON errors, get 100% on replays and get about 1 in 3 on live (but retrying gets the live to work eventually).

Posting here if it helps Matt - PS thanks for the excellent plugin, I too hate the official app and love being able to access Kayo direct through Kodi.

def license_request(_path, _data, **kwargs):
    data = api.license_request(_data)
    with open(_path, 'wb') as f:
        sleep(randint(250,2500)/1000)
        f.write(data)
    return {'url': _path}

And

def stream(self, asset_id):
    self._refresh_token()

    payload = {
        'assetId': asset_id,
        'canPlayHevc': settings.common_settings.getBool('h265', True),
       # 'contentType': 'application/xml+dash',
       # 'drm': True,
        'forceSdQuality': False,
        'playerName': 'exoPlayerTV',
        'udid': str(uuid.uuid4()),
    }
    data = self._session.post(PLAY_URL + '/play', json=payload, headers=self._auth_header)
    if ('status' in data and data['status'] != 200) or 'errors' in data:
        msg = data.get('detail') or data.get('errors', [{}])[0].get('detail')
        raise APIError(_(_.ASSET_ERROR, msg=msg))

    return data['data'][0]

[JCalvi]

Here's an improvement that auto retries (up to 20 times) when it fails to get a widevine code - I have 100% working now on all streams:

def license_request(_path, _data, **kwargs):
    i = 0
    data = api.license_request(_data)
    while 'Error' in str(data) and i<20:
        data = api.license_request(_data)
        i = i + 1

    with open(_path, 'wb') as f:
        sleep(randint(250,2500)/1000)
        f.write(data)

    return {'url': _path}

[mickyt71]

Here's an improvement that auto retries (up to 20 times) when it fails to get a widevine code - I have 100% working now on all streams:

def license_request(_path, _data, **kwargs):
    i = 0
    data = api.license_request(_data)
    while 'Error' in str(data) and i<20:
        data = api.license_request(_data)
        i = i + 1

    with open(_path, 'wb') as f:
        sleep(randint(250,2500)/1000)
        f.write(data)

    return {'url': _path}

Any solution that works is better than this not working, awesome work @JCalvi. Hopefully something similar can be done with the Foxtel addon.

[CV8R]

Nice work @JCalvi !!!

I can confirm this works but needed to import the modules and change the way sleep and random were called.

api.py added: import uuid

plugin.py added: import random

needed to modify the following line: time.sleep(random.randint(250,2500)/1000)

I managed to cut n paste this over to Binge and have live TV working, haven't managed to sort the VOD though.

Confirmed on a MacOS and CoreElec Odroid N2+

[JCalvi]

Yes, you need to import correct modules. I did these.

api.py added import uuid

plug-in.py added

from random import randint
from time import sleep

then you won’t need to modify the sleep call.

[liam8888999]

Is there any news on whether this also works with the foxtel addon

[JCalvi]

Don't know as I don't have foxtel. You are welcome to try though, I have created a fork and two pull requests. You can use these to see how the changes were done for Kayo.

[JCalvi]

Arguably from time import sleep isn't required as time is already imported in this module so it can be omitted and the sleep call made as:

time.sleep(randint(250,2500)/1000)

I'll leave it to Matt to include how he likes best.

[liam8888999]

Don't know as I don't have foxtel.

You are welcome to try though, I have created a fork and two pull requests.

You can use these to see how the changes were done for Kayo.

The code doesn't seem to line up unfortunately, hopefully it might trigger off an idea though

[scottydulton]

what device are you guys using? i tried on desktop and still getting the errors :(

edit*** adding "from time import sleep" fixed it, so you will need to add that to your pull request @JCalvi

[nickneos]

I have created a fork and two pull requests.

@JCalvi I want to try your fork, see if it works for me. Could you put your 2 patches into a single branch?

[scottydulton]

@JCalvi also once i logged out, i couldnt log back in without getting JSON errors, so maybe a change in the device code setup is needed

[nickneos]

I have created a fork and two pull requests.

@JCalvi I want to try your fork, see if it works for me. Could you put your 2 patches into a single branch?

Actually all good, I worked out how to get your 2 changed files onto my Firestick. However I am having the issue logging in as above since I wasn't logged in from when I last used kayo on kodi

[JCalvi]

Login is a problem, akamai bot is blocking this and will take some work to circumvent.

For now here is a hacky workaround.

1. Make sure Kodi is closed.
2. Login to Kayo via web browser - I used Firefox.
3. Right Click > Inspect Q
4. Go to Storage
5. Local Storage > https://kayosports.com.au
6. Find the auth key, mine was: @@auth0spajs@@::3sC2Dx5X1tTwtGlW8f6cN6YnkOuUIjcj::streamotion.com.au::openid email offline_access
7. Copy the value of the key (not the key name itself above) into a text editor.
8. Open Settings.xml from the kayo plugin in C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\plugin.video.kayo.sports\resources
9. Replace the setting id userdata line with: <setting id="_userdata">{&quot;username&quot;:&quot;***YOUREMAILADDRESS***&quot;,&quot;access_token&quot;:&quot;***YOURACCESSTOKEN***&quot;,&quot;expires&quot;:***YOUREXPIRES***,&quot;refresh_token&quot;:&quot;***YOURREFRESHTOKEN***&quot;}</setting> Replace the Stuff (including the ) with the corresponding items from the key you copied from the browser. Most have the similar readable names...

Tags from above to how they are in the browser auth key. YOUREMAILADDRESS = "email": YOURACCESSTOKEN = "access_token": YOUREXPIRES = "exp": YOURREFRESHTOKEN = "refresh_token":

Start Kodi, select your profile and Kayo should work fine, try not to log out to maintain the token.

I suspect if someone has time (Matt?) it would be easy enough to make the plugin login via a web browser and then grab the access tokens. This would never be blockable by the bot.

[scottydulton]

@matthuisman could you verify the pull request and merge if your happy?