StarHub to launch 24-hour Football Channel next month
SINGAPORE: Next month, cable pay-TV operators StarHub will launch
Football Channel, a new 24-hour channel dedicated to the English
Premiership.
While content details will only be made known closer to the start
of the season on Aug 11, StarHub, who own the Singapore rights for
English Premiership matches over the next three seasons, say the
new product will provide "unsurpassed" coverage.
No longer will Singaporeans get their Premiership "fix" from ESPN
Star Sports, as the content providers for the Football Channel will
be Hong Kong's Goal TV, in association with Dubai-based television
broadcasters Ten Sports.
"Premiership highlights, studio previews, half-time studio shows
and match summary shows will be produced by Goal TV and Ten
Sports," said Thomas Ee, StarHub's senior vice-president of cable,
fixed and internet protocol services, yesterday.
"Fans can expect unsurpassed coverage of the event as the coverage
of the live Premiership matches and magazine programmes on Football
Channel will be produced by TransWorld International (TWI).
"We are confident that sports fans will enjoy the dedicated 24-hour
coverage of Premiership content on Football Channel, which is a
first for StarHub and Singapore."
TWI are the world's largest independent producers and distributor
of sports, and the FA Premier League's official producers and
distributors since 1998.
Goal TV, a dedicated football network, is jointly owned by Yes
Television (Hong Kong) Ltd and Malaysia's Astro All Asia
Networks.
Their Goal TV1 and Goal TV2 channels reach 60 million viewers in 16
Asian countries.
"Leveraging on our experience in running a dedicated football
network catering to Asian audiences, we will be offering a wide
array of content that will complement the live matches in creating
an 'immersive' viewing experience for football fans," said Tom
Kressner, chief executive officer of Goal TV.
The new Football Channel will be available to all StarHub digital
cable' sports group and digital terrestrial television
customers.
Last November, StarHub were believed to have paid $246 million to
outbid ESPN Star Sports and SingTel for exclusive English
Premiership broadcasting rights here.
