Rapid TV News
Singaporean telco SingTel is going all out to win subscribers from rival StarHub following its English Premier League football rights win last week. The telco, which operates the Mio TV IPTV service, said it will cut the cost of receiving Premier League coverage by half.
SingTel’s rights start from August 2010 and from this date, Singaporeans wanting to watch Premier Legaue football will no longer have to take a basic package, as they currently must through StarHub. A Premier League subscription will cost S$23 per month for all 380 matches plus a high-definition set-top box to receive the service. Customers signing a one-year plan will also get UEFA Champions’ League and Europa League coverage.
Allen Lew, SingTel’s CEO Singapore, said: “For years, football lovers have been forced to take up a basic package before they are able to watch the Barclays Premier League matches on cable TV for an additional fee. We empathise with their lack of choice and unnecessary expenses all these years.
“We have promised football fans that they will not be charged more than what they have been paying their cable operator. And we are delivering on our promise – in fact, watching the Barclays Premier League matches will cost them almost 60 per cent less.”
Of course, SingTel will be hoping that those switching from StarHub to Mio to watch the Premier League will also decide to take other channels from the operator. Mio’s channels start at S$4.28 a month up to S$14.98, or $9.90/$19.90 for one of the four SuperSaver Packs. SingTel is also promising a sports package for S$25 a month, with other content to be revealed “once the composition of the additional channels is confirmed.”
StarHub has promised Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) that the operator will not be charging any early termination fees for subscribers of sports packages who cancel their service after July next year.
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