The Price of Champions League Action

[po2wq]

iz getting mor n mor expensif 2 watch futbol ...


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The price of Champions League action
by Ian De Cotta
05:55 AM Jul 02, 2009

IT WILL cost at least $15.90 more a month to watch top-quality European football.

That is the price of SingTel's Football Frenzy package, comprising the Champions League, the Uefa Europa League and Italy's Serie A. The package will be available across SingTel's online, mioTV and mobile platforms at different costs.

Fans are currently paying $26.75 for StarHub's sports package - which cost $15 when it was first offered - to watch Premiership matches, and SingTel's Football Frenzy will bring the cost of a more complete access to football on television to $42.65.

The details come more than a year after SingTel beat incumbent broadcaster ESPN Star Sports to the exclusive media rights, in what was an unexpected programming coup, for all matches in the next three seasons.

And the telco is committed to becoming a major player in the market, its content and media services chief Edward Ying said at the launch of Football Frenzy. Football, he said, is a key driver for content take-up.

And in the long term, SingTel's entry into the football market can prevent price increases, he believes.

He told Today: "At $15.90 a month we're not charging consumers a price that is relative to what we have paid for the rights to the Champions League ... But good content is not cheap, and the consumer will have to make a decision whether they want to take us up on our offer. Our price only helps defray our cost, but we're looking to the future to add more content."

SingTel is offering an early bird promotion, including free installation of its set-top boxes and four months free subscription for new mio home sign-ups.

Football fan Edmund Cheah said StarHub should bring its price down since it will no longer offer Champions League.

"With the Internet what it is today, consumers have the power to walk away from pay television if they want to," said the 49-year-old company director.

While fans Today spoke to were okay with SingTel's pricing, the hassle of having to accommodate two set-top boxes was a put-off.

"Why can't both providers work together to come up with a solution? What if somebody else gets the rights to some other football?" said Manchester United fan Bob Naidu.

StarHub said it has no intention at the moment to review its rates.

"While it's unfortunate (ESPN and STAR Sports) will not hold the rights for the Champions League, sports fans can continue to catch other world-class football action on these channels," said StarHub's head of content Kathleen Syron.

 

[saratogas]

Cost for Entertainment is so High, is these part of Progress our Ministers are talking about?

 

[Frankiestine]

Pay for fuck!!!! Catch all online via streaming....i already cancel my starhub sports channel and gonna catch the next season BPL online...dun believe in paying for something which can come free..

 

[Char_Azn]

Pple always go on about how a monopoly harms consumer interest, in our case, competition is hurting our wallets. No matter who wins, we lose.

Remember the nonsense that first came about when Singtel created mio and started a Bidding war with Starhub a couple of years back but loss. They jacked up the price so high that Starhub eventually increase the price of sports package by an insane amount. Since then it has been going on every year.

Now that singtel actually won Champions league rights, we need to freaking subscribe to BOTH if we actually want to watch both EPL and Champions league

 

[oli9]

This can only happen in money minded Spore. And stupidity is generally meant for those who owned both Starhub & MIO just to catch their favourite clubs in action.

I did away with Starhub 3 years ago. The initial withdrawal illness is of course unberable but after you crossed that phase, I tell you, pure bliss. Life goes on, with or without live football.

Now Im really hoping that MU, Chelsea, Real & even Liverpool all get knocked out in the Champions League group stages. Then MIO will surely get an early bath.

 

[sunny302]

Cost for Entertainment is so High, is these part of Progress our Ministers are talking about?

Last time its called monopoly...now it's pay n pay n pay.

 

[Internet Brigade]

This can only happen in money minded Spore. And stupidity is generally meant for those who owned both Starhub & MIO just to catch their favourite clubs in action.

I did away with Starhub 3 years ago. The initial withdrawal illness is of course unberable but after you crossed that phase, I tell you, pure bliss. Life goes on, with or without live football.

Now Im really hoping that MU, Chelsea, Real & even Liverpool all get knocked out in the Champions League group stages. Then MIO will surely get an early bath.

This is what happens when you clamour for the democracy and free market capitalism sponsored by the West.

Betcha miss SBC now.

 

[oli9]

This is what happens when you clamour for the democracy and free market capitalism sponsored by the West.

Betcha miss SBC now.

I also betcha that western free market capitalism has no state political interference of any sort. That cant be said the same to a country run by dictatorship & a one party rule.

 

[alvin36]

wat is the contract term for MIO ?
will they increase the paid-channel in the midst of the contract term ?

I remember last time, when starhub increased the price for sports channel during our contract term, but we are not allow to cancel the contract.

WTF is CASE doing ??

 

[Frankiestine]

Pple always go on about how a monopoly harms consumer interest, in our case, competition is hurting our wallets. No matter who wins, we lose.

It is competition only when both are offering the same thing like for like...in this case they are offering different content..just like the gov crap on competition between SMRT and SBS...this is a no brainer..what competition is there when both are offering totally different routes..