Kallang roar to fill new stadium on Aug 8

Kallang roar to fill new stadium on Aug 8



The rugby World Club 10s on June 21 and 22 will be the first sporting event to be held at the 55,000-seat stadium. (Photo: File Photo)

A CLASH between Singapore and Malaysia on Aug 8 has been confirmed as the first football match that will take place at the new National Stadium, after the Singapore Sports Hub announced a line-up of events to be held there this year.

The rugby World Club 10s on June 21 and 22 will be the first sporting event to be held at the 55,000-seat stadium. The new annual event will feature top professional club rugby teams from around the world.

Other international sporting events that will be held at the $1.33 billion, 35ha facility include the South-east Asia Swimming Championships, Asian Netball Championship and other marquee events like the Singapore Swim Stars (Sept 5-7) and the Women's Tennis Association Championships (Oct 17-26).

Said Football Association of Singapore president Zainudin Nordin: "We look forward to hosting Malaysia for the opening match at the stadium on Aug 8, which will serve as an excellent prelude to our National Day celebrations."

Sports Hub chief executive Philippe Collin Delavaud said the hub will not just be a place for the sporting elite.

He said: "Beyond spectator events, the Singapore Sports Hub will offer community programming, sports experience initiatives and public facilities open to all, young and old. We are looking forward to opening our doors to the public and showcasing all that the Sports Hub has to offer."

Entertainment events include concerts by American country star Taylor Swift (June 12), Korean group 2NE1 (June 28) and Mandarin pop group Sodagreen (Aug 30).

Taiwan singer Jay Chou will perform at the stadium on Nov 8.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

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Telcos still battling to air World Cup

Telcos still battling to air World Cup

Cable-TV providers SingTel and StarHub told MyPaper that they are still locked in negotiations with Fifa, the sport's world governing body. (FILE PHOTO)

WITH less than five months to go before the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, Singapore's race to bag television rights for the tournament could head into extra time.

At least 208 territories worldwide have already secured the rights, but cable-TV providers SingTel and StarHub told MyPaper that they are still locked in negotiations with Fifa, the sport's world governing body.

Experts and fans are fearing a replay of the 2010 World Cup fiasco, when Singapore's TV deal was reached just 35 days before the first match in South Africa.

Then, Singapore subscribers paid $70 (early-bird price, with GST) each to watch all 64 matches - a four-fold increase from 2006.

The signs are ominous this year.

StarHub has been in talks with Fifa since 2012, and Ms Lee Soo Hui, head of the telco's media-business unit, said several factors have made negotiations "very challenging".

Cost is an obvious stumbling block, and Ms Lee noted that prices for sports content are soaring worldwide.

Time is not on Singapore's side either. Due to the time difference in Brazil, most of the matches for the June 12-July 13 tournament will be played in the wee hours of the morning, making it difficult to attract viewers.

As a result, StarHub "does not expect a strong response from sponsors and advertisers", who can help to defray the cost of the TV rights.

The telco has promised to "acquire the content at a sensible rate, so as to keep the World Cup affordable for the majority of Singapore viewers".

But market forces are at work.

In 2010, SingTel and StarHub reportedly paid about $20 million for the rights, about half of what Fifa was asking for.

In contrast, Singapore's World Cup TV rights were reportedly purchased for around US$5 million (about S$6 million) in 2006.

The price hike is down to the stiff competition between SingTel and StarHub in recent years, said Mr Vivek Couto, executive director at Media Partners Asia.

The wildcard this year will be the Republic's cross-carriage law, which states that pay-TV operators must share exclusive content with one another. This law will further complicate negotiations, said Mr Couto.

A case in point was last year's wrangle over TV rights for the English Premier League. SingTel insisted it did not sign an exclusive deal for the rights, but was still ordered by the Media Development Authority of Singapore to share its 2013-2016 Premier League content with StarHub.

Singapore's other telco, M1, which also has a pay-TV service, said it will not bid for this year's World Cup rights, but is exploring the option of cross-carrying the content.

Meanwhile, tech blogger Alfred Siew believes it is in the telcos' interests to sew up a deal as soon as possible. This will give them more lead time to secure sponsors and come up with more attractive packages for fans.

Said football fan and undergraduate Wei De Wong, 21: "If the rumours are true and if they are going to increase the price again, it will be unacceptable.

"I will just watch it at a friend's house or at a pub. I might even share the subscription costs with my friend."

~News courtesy of My Paper~

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