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Pay more, if you want the
football
Sports-group subscribers to pay $15.75, but there is early-bird
offer
By Lin Xinyi
STARHUB will be showing all 64 World Cup soccer matches live over
four channels from Germany from June 9-July 9. But it will not be
for free.
Existing subscribers of Starhub Digital Cable's sports group must
fork out an additional $15.75 for the pay-per-view package.
However, there is an early-bird offer of $10.50.
Non-sports group subscribers will be charged $26.25.
Sports-group subscribers will be the only group of viewers able to
watch eight simultaneously televised matches live on SuperSports
(StarHub Channel 22) at no additional charge.
Almost all the viewers interviewed by The Straits Times share the
same sentiments: Why should we pay more money when we have already
paid for the sports group? But we will pay.
Also, as events promoter Neo Yong Aik said: 'It's only about 16
cents per match. The principle is wrong but it's not an issue worth
getting agitated over.'
And added Chua Kok Wei, 35: 'Even if it's $50, I will still pay
because I've no choice. I want to watch.'
Peh Siong San, 32, said: 'For people who subscribe to the sports
group like myself, it is largely because of soccer.
'I'm quite surprised we have to pay additional charges but I will
do so. After all, I've been following the World Cup since
1990.'
Starhub did not charge additional fees for the 2002 World Cup or
Euro 2004.
The four channels will not only offer live matches but also repeat
telecasts, bird's-eye-view of the pitch, tactical analysis, and the
tracking of individual players.
Corporate customers, such as pubs and neighbourhood coffee shops,
will face an even higher bill.
For sports-group subscribers who want to catch the early-bird
offer, which expires on May 1, the first set costs $688. Subsequent
sets are $500 each.
For The Penny Black, a pub with six sets, it would be $3,188. But
general manager Stephen Nobel is not hesitating. He said: 'During
the last European Championship, the telecasts proved to be a
hit.
'We were open till five or six in the morning. Without screening
the World Cup, we won't be very badly affected. But with it, there
will be extra revenue.'
Coffeeshop owner Goh Lay Choo said she is likely to subscribe to
the package but is not happy with the extra charges.
She said: 'We have to cough up more money even though we're already
paying a montly subscription of $420. But it will definitely be
good for our business, so I guess we'll have to do it.'
When contacted, Starhub defended the additional fees.
Tham Loke Kheng, senior vice president (Marketing and Content)
said: 'The costs of telecast rights for virtually all sports
programming have escalated tremendously over the years.
'Our challenge is to balance the desires of various sports-audience
segments against the rising costs by operating within a reasonable
cost structure that keeps prices as low as possible.
'StarHub's Pay-Per-View platform gives us the flexibility to offer
soccer fans new sports content like the World Cup as and when the
event takes place, without having to increase the costs to all our
sports-group subscribers in general.'
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