Singtel, StarHub and Mediacorp announced a three-way partnership on Sunday to stream World Cup matches, 21 days before the tournament kicks off on November 20. This brings an end to a negotiation process that has dragged on for over a year.
Singtel and StarHub customers can watch all 64 games by subscribing to the World Cup Package for an early bird price of $98 ($118 after promotion ends on 6 November). Fans paid to watch football’s premier event four years before him.
Mediacorp will air nine games on free-to-air TV, as it did four years ago. After that, the opening round, five group matches were broadcast, both semi-finals and finals.The cost was controlled by the government.
World Cup broadcast rights announcements here are the latest since subscriptions were introduced in 2002, and some football fans have expressed frustration at the lack of updates from the broadcasters. ‘s 2010 edition broadcast information was released 35 days before kick-off.
Russia’s 2018 World Cup viewing packages (announced 50 days before the start of the tournament) were similar to Brazil’s World Cup packages four years ago, except for hourly rates.
The recent rise points to the general upward trend in viewer costs over the past two decades.
The biggest jump in 2010 was in 2010, following a bidding war between Singtel and StarHub that Singtel won in October 2009 from 2010 to 2013.
Then, less than seven months later, the package was announced at four times what fans had to pay in 2006.
In 2014, after another rate hike, this time around 30%, then-Senior Minister for Communications and Information Lawrence Wong told parliament that global football body FIFA owns the rights to the event, while Singapore “Price Taker and Price Setter”. He also said the price of sports content is rising globally.
FIFA’s revenue from the sale of worldwide rights to the World Cup has nearly doubled in the last 20 years. The 2002 World Cup rights brought FIFA $1.69 billion (S$2.4 billion) in revenue. In 2018, it raised over US$3 billion.
Of the 64 matches scheduled in Qatar, more than a third (24 matches) will be played at 3am (Singapore time). This includes both semi-finals. Other kickoff times are as follows:
6 pm: 7 games scheduled
9 pm: eight games
11pm: 16 games (including the final on December 18)
Midnight: nine games.
Elsewhere in the region
Malaysia
The Malaysian government announced in August that Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) would broadcast 41 of its 64 matches for free. Of these, 27 are transferred live.
The match will be broadcast on three channels: TV2, TV Okey, Sukan RTM and streaming platform RTM Klik. RTM will cover his RM32.5 million (S$9.8 million) costs, but the government enlisted the help of private and government-owned firms.
Subscribers to Pay TV provider Astro’s Sports Pack (available for RM59.90 with a 6-month subscription for new customers) can watch all 64 games.
Philippines
TAP Digital Media Ventures, the country’s leading sports and entertainment media company, announced that it will air all 64 games on its pay-per-view channel, WC TV, in late July.
The “All Access Pass” package is priced at 1,999 pesos (S$48.50) and includes streaming options.
Indonesia
Media group Emtek has acquired the rights and the game will air on its free-to-air TV channels SCTV, Indosiar, O Channel and Mentari TV.
Matches will also be available on pay-TV platforms Champions TV and Nex Parabola, and streaming platform Vidio.
Vietnam
On Monday, Vietnam’s VTV network announced it had acquired the rights for around $14 million (S$19.9 million). This is nearly 30% higher than the 2018 version cost.
