StarHub to launch 24-hour Football Channel next month

• anhydrouscoppersulphate

  24 Jul 07, 17:59

  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.
  
  
• hiphop2009

  24 Jul 07, 18:19

  so, starhub is doing something good!
  
  so pple out there, u noe, starhub may increase price but u all benefit ok? =p
• zocoss

  24 Jul 07, 20:29

  Originally posted by hiphop2009:

  so, starhub is doing something good!
  
  so pple out there, u noe, starhub may increase price but u all benefit ok? =p

  I rather have the previous (Espn & Star Sports) any day...
• 798

  24 Jul 07, 20:48

  in vietnam u watch sport channels for FREE!
  
  in sg, we have to pay! 1st world country indeed!
• Trump_Card

  24 Jul 07, 20:52

  Can anyone tell me about the telecast of other sports such as NBA , tennis , F1 etc ?
• sand king

  24 Jul 07, 20:58

  Originally posted by Trump_Card:

  Can anyone tell me about the telecast of other sports such as NBA , tennis , F1 etc ?

  i guess the others will be okay, only soccer.
• zocoss

  24 Jul 07, 21:13

  Originally posted by Trump_Card:

  Can anyone tell me about the telecast of other sports such as NBA , tennis , F1 etc ?

  I think Starhub have got the others involve since they all come under the "Sports Group"... Just like before it was $8 and they increase the EPL to $15 they came along, now it seems they will come at $25 too... Poor non-football fans...
• innosaint

  25 Jul 07, 01:21

  
  Why i just got this feeling that Starhub gonna say "We will have another price hike & you will PAY! "
• BÃ¥seline

  25 Jul 07, 01:39

  They have exclusive rights for 3 years.
  
  Dun think the prices will stay as it is now and may increase in due time. And when WC comes ard the corner, expect to pay premium as well. Anyways, I terminated jus last mth... no regrets. There's still news and sites that stream impt matches online.
• allentyb

  25 Jul 07, 01:41

  if the service is good, i don't mind paying for it, as long, it is better than no football, and better than media corpse
• ghimpheng

  25 Jul 07, 01:44

  so there is only 1 live game @ a time ?
  
  or there will be other channels dedicated for live games other than this 24/7 Football channel ?
• BÃ¥seline

  25 Jul 07, 01:51

  Yes, cos they expected ppl will suck thumb and still pay despite the price hike. They paid so much for the excusive rights for 3 years. Expect to be ven much higher when the bidding starts again.
• BÃ¥seline

  25 Jul 07, 02:08

  Originally posted by ghimpheng:

  so there is only 1 live game @ a time ?
  
  or there will be other channels dedicated for live games other than this 24/7 Football channel ?

  It says "More exciting details on its Sports Group offerings will be unveiled soon." at the last bit of the press release.
• Dead_Man_Inc

  25 Jul 07, 02:50

  so it means channel 5 also won't broadcast weekly premier league highlights already?
• turbo_drift

  25 Jul 07, 07:44

  Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:

  so it means channel 5 also won't broadcast weekly premier league highlights already?

  50-50..
• Jader

  25 Jul 07, 09:25

  The Football Channel is only for EPL.. 24hours of EPL? Seriously I don't understand the need for a 24-hour EPL channel.. Maybe someone can enlighten me on the reason?
• stellazio

  25 Jul 07, 10:02

  Originally posted by Jader:

  The Football Channel is only for EPL.. 24hours of EPL? Seriously I don't understand the need for a 24-hour EPL channel.. Maybe someone can enlighten me on the reason?

  Precisely, its mostly repeat matches etc.
  
  But they gotta do it, better then just showing the blue screen while waiting for match to come on.
• dragg

  25 Jul 07, 10:12

  only time will tell.
  
  
• Airforceone

  25 Jul 07, 10:36

  Does it mean that those guys in ESPN will be out of Job soon? How about those Football babes?
• 4getmenot

  25 Jul 07, 11:13

  Originally posted by 798:

  in vietnam u watch sport channels for FREE!
  
  in sg, we have to pay! 1st world country indeed!

  u got tat right
• zocoss

  25 Jul 07, 13:37

  Originally posted by Airforceone:

  Does it mean that those guys in ESPN will be out of Job soon? How about those Football babes?

  ESPN is not just Sin... It covers almost the whole asia... So I guess they will still be doing it... Its just that, thanks to Starhub... Singapore won't be able to watch them thats all... Other parts of Asia will still be business as usual come august...
• The man who was death

  25 Jul 07, 17:07

  cantonese commentary??
  
  i wonder what kind of football experts they'll bring in.....
• Dong_Fang_Bu_Bai

  25 Jul 07, 17:26

  Starhub is getting worse and thats for sure... They keep on broadcasting same thing over n over again... Think the Ceo of starhub deserve our money... I'LL SAY NO BUT INSTEAD HE DESERVE A HARD SMACK OF MY SHOE ON HIS FACE!
• kingpele

  27 Jul 07, 16:29

  I hope this is not the same production company that Starhub used for FIFA WC2006. The commentators were dreadful. No doubt Starhub would have carefully considered all the alternative sources including ESS, and have selected the cheapest regardless of quality.
  
  Think Ch.22's Spanish football telecasts....shudder