EPL: The pay-and-pay economics of football
Will fans pay more to watch from left; Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Samir Nasri and Wayne Rooney, play on TV? (AP, AFP Photos)
Ion Danker
Yahoo! Singapore
The English Premier League football season is just hours away from kick-off but fans are already facing a mini ”off-the-pitch” crisis.
I am, of course, talking about the sky-rocketing costs of watching your Rooneys and Gerrards play week in, week out.
This exact debate raged on in coffee-shops all across the island during the off-season – should fans have to pay extra on top of what they are already paying to watch their heroes perform?
You see, from this season onwards, fans will have to fork out even more to watch football’s elite clash in the Champions League on SingTel mio TV. That’s on top of the usual Sports Group package to watch the English Premier League (EPL) on Starhub.
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It will cost more for fans to watch EPL and Champions League football on TV (AP Photo).
How much more?
I remember shelling out a monthly subscription of $15 for the Sports Group in 2007 to watch both the EPL and Champions League matches on Starhub. Soon after, that was increased to $26.75 per month.
Now, with SingTel grabbing a huge slice of the football pie, watching the Champions League on mio TV will cost an additional $15.90 a month. Not to mention the inconvenience of an extra set-top box and more wiring than my living room can handle.
Will Liverpool fans pay more to watch the Reds play on TV?
I find myself wondering when enough is enough.
As a hard-core Liverpool and football addict, I’m dying to see if the likes of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard can prevent Man U winning their 19th league title on Starhub. But is it worth an extra $15.90 per month to watch them play in Europe as well? If so, I’d have to pay a total of $42.65 each month. Or $511.80 over 12 months, at the very least.
With the EPL broadcast rights up for another bidding exercise at the end of the season, who’s to say prices won’t increase even more next season?
And with 2010 being a World Cup year, I’m pretty sure a World Cup “package” is already being planned. And that’s just the EPL and the World Cup. Will it be a matter of time before I have to pay more to watch the Ronaldos and Alonsos play in La Liga? And what about the Serie A?
A good friend of mine, Wesley Lewis, 31, a communications manager, summed it up aptly: “Football has become a money-generating industry. It’s a business now. Everyone wants to have a piece of the pie, and at the end of the day, it’s the fans who suffer.”
Are fans contributing to the huge transfer fees paid for players like Cristiano Ronaldo? (AP Photo)
So I’ve drawn the line and decided to make a stand.
Despite being a Red through and through, I’ve opted not to take up SingTel mioTV and pay more to watch my team play in the Champions League. It just doesn’t make economical sense. I’ll probably have to catch highlights of the matches on the news or rely on other sources for match updates.
I know many fans have also opted to make a stand by not paying more to watch the Champions League, preferring instead to spend the wee hours of the morning at a friend’s place or at the nearest pub or coffee shop.
What about you? Tell us how you feel about the rising costs of watching football, and whether you will pay more to watch your team play in the Champions League.
Sir Alex Ferguson delighted with having Michael Owen by his side. Will fans be smiling with additional charges expected for the World Cup next year? (AP photo)
i’ve been a red devils fan for 26 yrs now and never have i felt this cheated to watch my beloved team play on TV. These prices that we are paying now are already ridiculous and will only continue to escalate. For this season the fact the i have to pay an additional fee to another telco company to watch the Champions League is absolutely revolting. This is the final straw and i pay an additinal sum to watch the champions league games. I will just catch the news to find out how my team fared the following day.
im definately not getting miotv seeing as how we already have a dvd player, the scv box and computer hooked up to the same outlet…im wondering when the whole thing is going to blow but im thinking at least liverpool, chelsea, man united, and barcelona fans should be able to watch the champs league matches on starhub via goal tv 1 and 2 – although it wont be live. i think i can live with that
I share the same thought as others,i wouldnt fork out extra $ a month to watch the champions league.Not just the cost of the channel but also the set top rental and wiring required.I would prefer to get my updates on the internet.Something must be done to stop this ever rising cost and why the broadcasting rights are given to two different service provider?At the end of the day,we football fans are the one suffering.
Hi
I was absolutely flabbergasted when i first knew that Singtel MioTv has been given rights to broadcast the Champions League this upcoming season. I am so disgusted by the fact that these service providers are taking us fans for a ride. In fact, i am quite annoyed by the way singtel does it business – first is iphone and now its champion’s league. What are they trying to do? Are they trying to create monopolies in which they have total control over prices and eventually be accounted for the price inflation we see today?
The singapore government always promotes the transparent, fair and free market way of doing business and today, we see Singtel dominating already. Sometimes i wonder why IDA didnt come into the picture to regulate the industry? Is it because Singtel comes part of the government? Is this whole matter transparent and was this justify to us fans? Eventually, the only people who suffers are Us – The Consumers.
To all soccer fans – Please do not subscrible to Mio TV for Champion’s League. We have got to make a stand here and we are definitely no push overs.
Y not let us all boycott this pay and pay thingy? How can we be held hostage by these companies?
Ion Danker,
I agree with your comments, that’s why I’ve just cancelled my SCV Sports channel on Jul’ 2009. We fans pay more for EPL, but Starhub will never rebate when off-season, instead let you watch golf in most channels, I’ve relieved that I’ve make up my mind to cancel sports channel. Will join Kpd’s ah peks to watch important match instead. $321 annual fees enough to buy 400+ glasses of nice coffees kekeke
No i will not pay more to watch the CL on mioTV. it has just become ridiculously overpriced!
furthermore,it’s easy to watch highlights for free online and you won’t have to wake up at 3am to watch the match anyway.
What is $600 a year? You just have to work harder, work a bit more overtime to pay for the rising costs which i tink is justified. Nowadays, you have to pay a sum to have things that you always want.
So dont keep complaining and just pay a mere $40 if u r truly an ardent Kops fan. If u tink u r too poor for $40, shut your crap n juz be a cheapskate and hang around ur buddies place everytime the KOP plays.
As a KOP fan, i’m very sure you want them to win the league and how by bringing quality palyers to anfield. How can they do that? They must use cash to lure them…how they get cash? It;s up to common people like us to support them. I hope you get the rationale of the rising costs.
Any more price hike I will give up watching football altogether, Gerald or Gerald. Just cannot afford it.Already it is so expensive. I think we are paying more here than some countries. Don’t be a sucker, don’t watch football also won’t die.
go go price hike..
anymore price hike and u’ll sure lose more customers!!
i’m a basketball fan and totally cancelled my sports channels few years back because of the stupid hike due to soccer @_@………
those companies are just crap..
I agree totally wtih you that,we soccer fans despite our desire to follow our team (Man U for me !)in the champion league & EPL, we must together now make a stand against unreasonable escalating cost of watching soccer on TV.
When Singtel was allowed into the pay TV business, consumers were promised by the regulating authorities that it will benefit consumers. But this has turn really turn into an antithesis that competition benefits consumers.
So far we have not seem any real benefit but only increased cost and inconveniences for consumers especially soccer fans.
So let all soccer fans make a stand & subscribe to MIO TV for CPL. AS for Starhub, now that we are gettin glesser soccer choices of the amount we have paid, they should reduce or monthly charges for the sports channel. If the cots for EPL increase next season due to any bidding war, I will even stop watching the EPL.
It’s time we all make a stand.
Ultimately, can these companies be challenged into justifying the rising costs with transparency? Each time, the “fault” is conveniently placed on the broadcast fee in order to bring these telecasts to Singapore viewers. But, just how much are these broadcast fees (on top of the running cost)?
Take for example, if there’s 250,000 subscribers paying $20/month – that’s a sum of $5,000,000. In a year, that constitutes to $60,000,000. Off-hand, we wouldn’t know about the actual overheads. How much of these made up the actual profits of the companies? I am not against them making profits… every company has to. However, a company can be making 30% profit, 50% profit, 200% profit, 250% profit so on so forth. At the rate of its increase, I can only assume (from the lack of transparency) that their profit margins should be relatively high.
The major players in Singapore are limiting the choices of the viewers instead of adding more values. We are pretty much cornered because nobody truly looked into the game of monopoly here.
And why pay senselessly when there are free streaming online nowadays?
It’s a simple supply-demand motivation for Singtel & Starhub.
If demand (aka customers) goes down, what choice do they have but to bring it down?
Let’s not be wimps & whine about the situation while paying for these exorbitant prices. Take a stand. Send a message to $ingtel & $tarhub.
If the bulk of us stopped subscription for a couple of months, what do you think they’ll do? Think about it.
I play the beautiful game between hectic work schedules & have my own fav teams. But I’ve not subscribed to the sports channels cos I find the cost too high. I don’t mind spending the money at a cafe with friends to enjoy a really good game.
It’s not so much about spending money; it’s realising that we have means of controlling the costs that we complain about.
It is ludicrous that we have to pay for the lifestyle of footballers who are paid at least 30,000 pounds a week at the lowest scale of EPL professionals plying their trade which is the equivalence of a year’s wage for the average Singaporean executive.
Exorbitant, insane bidding for prized asset like Cristiano Ronaldo or Ribery, fuelled by the deep pockets of Chelsea or Manchester City, means that cost in the footballing entertainment will continue to spiral.
I remember the days when EPL/Serie A or the Bundesliga were available on free-to-air Channel 5 in the 80s, albeit on a week’s worth of delay.
Hence, we need to make our stand. I will also not be subscribing to the Champion’s League. If need be, I would also pay to watch some games online, since we can catch some of these action easily on the web these days.
Good job Ion !!
hahaha. Well said !! Wesley Louis.. hahaha
I’m not a football fanatic, but my husband is…I’ve applied in msia for football package just for him, it was affordable at first but now the price is up to 15.00 but in RM. for the football package. I think it is not affected by this island only but the whole world as this EPL thing is so demanding
The fact is… The cost of watching soccer on TV will only increase. I doubt there is any reason for the price to drop. Neither the economical crisis or the H1N1 can stop this craze.
P.S. I guess, it will help if either SingTel or StarHub gives in and let the other party have the rights to both channels. Given the fact it is a money-generating industry, you wait…
Yes, I agree. No point paying so much more for the Champions League. Why pay more to watch the Champions League and to force ourselves waking up in the middle of the night and behave like zombies in the morning.
I’ll stop watching the EPL as well should the price rise again for Starhub cable.
I will give up watching football altogether if the price goes up again next season!! I actually give up cable tv for 2 months totally when last season ended & found out that is not the end of the world actually!! Infact i got to sleep early too!! Well, if singtel got the rights next season i might switch but that depends on the price first of course!
I agree..although i think both sngtel and starhub should carry both leagues so that prices can be mre competitive..the coffeeshops and the pubs showing will be pack than ever..screw them money-generating machines..they killing the beauty of football…
Watching football is no doubt enjoyable. But paying these amounts to starhub and singtel is definitely not worth it. Let us all stand cohesively against these money suckers.
It was $15.90 in 2007 and soon it was raised to $26.75 the following year. I cried and screamed about this increased but eventually, I gave up as I enjoyed watching live soccer game with a little bet on my favourite team. Furthermore, as Champions League games were telecast at a different time slot, I am also able to catch them live at one price of $26.75.
And now 2009!, we have to pay for $26.75 and $15.90 (total of $42.65) for Starhub and Singtel respectively, in order to enjoy both EPL and Champions League game. I will definitely give up Champions League game because it only shown in the wee hour. Think of it, it will save money and encourage me to have better rest in the night. Why not…
Anyway, Champions League only play twice in month, ie I will be paying $7.95 for each game…
If I am so desperate to watch any of the match, I can leave with watching near-live game online..
I think Singtel will be worst off by snatching Champions League broadcast rights from Starhub, until they can successfully obtain rights for the rest of EPL, SPL and GBL rights from Starhub.
Back to Starhub… should Starhub consider to reduce the subscription of $26.75 for the sports group, since they have a substantial amount of money by losing the rights to Singtel?
Well, Starhub may says that they have allocated more channels to offer more live EPL games showing at the same time. So what? Are they expecting me to switch the channels back and forth?
Well, that is my stand…
- Stick to one
- Pay less
- Have a better night sleep during weekdays
I will definitely not having another set-top box just to watch the champions League. Why should I pay so much just to watch the matches.
Now alone, having Starhub sport channel already cost me $26.75 every month (Not worth it).Compare to previous fees, which is $8 to $15.
Last, should Starhub consider to reduse the monthly fees for Sport Channel? Since there are not much soccer matches broadcast over cable. Only the BPL now (The last season for Starhub to have the rights). I have the plan not to continue to subscribe the current Sport Channel, Should Starhub not reducing the subscription fees.
I have already give up watching EPL due to the increase in price. Just listen to the radio to know the results will do. Well i’m still alive without it. Really envy some other countries showing free on their free TV network.
There’s plenty of webcast matches. Not hard to find them online. There’s lag and picture quality’s not great, but it’s free, so if you don’t need to see your heroes in full high-definition clarity, then just tune in via the www.
I have decided from the start not to subscribe to Mio for the Champ League. No way! I am not gonna be held hostage. Will watch online instead.
of course i will not pay any extra amount. There’s this thing call INTERNET to see the highlights or the results. No matter how dis hard fans you can be, money wise is still a concern and I find it kind of extortions to keep paying higher and higher. ppbbtthh!!~!~!
Most of us will agree that if it is just a 3-5 S$ increase to watch Champions League, we will pay. But, to sign a new contract with another provider, get a new box and pay so much more, most will not sign up!
Let hope the take up rate is so low that Singtel will give up next year, or they will fight for the whole package instead of separating the different tournaments.
It’s a winner takes all attitude. Either Singtel or Starhub or any other provider. Otherwise, the provider without EPL will most likely suffer.
my wife was asking me wen want to terminate sports channel.
prety expensive, futher more some of the premier leagua play on early morning 3am, then we can’t get up to watch the match because working .
So strongly request if they can bring down the price sports channel.
Gave up champions league all together (wee hours,extra cost = forgoet it) If prices for EPL are still going up i might cancel the sports package, and go out to pubs and watch instead. World Cup jus buy the one off package .
Ya ! I totally agreed with the above written comments. It does not justify to pay additonal of $15.90 to subscribe to Mio just to watch Champions League games. Worst still, if your favourite team didn’t make it to the quater final rounds, what then ?
It will be a matter of time whereby watching football is a luxury and only for the previleged, NOT for the love of sports !!!
It’s now all about money, it’s too commercialised for money making !
I am and have already made my stand not to pay additonally just to watch champion League even though I might not be able to sleep during those match games. Sorry !
I will for sure not pay for the extra to watch the Champion League. If only everyone here in Singapore can co-operate and stop subscribing to the services once the price increasing again, very soon, i am sure that the whole football industries will not take us (fans) as a fool and ripe us off.
Just watch it via online streaming…. quality is compromised a little but at least it’s FREE!
It is a shame to ask more and more and more.Enough is enough,it is the time for fans not to buy it any more.
Haha i always watch from the internet for free so i don’t have to keep paying to watch
Maybe when the ultrafast broadband kicks in we maybe able to watch very good quality matches for free 
I have cancelled all my football sessions since starhub double the fee…
It just don’t make sense..but then who the blame when there is only one cable tv..
Just plain stupid to pay and pay.
Period.
This is the only chance for Liverpool to win EPL… it’s worth the $26.75 per month for Starhub EPL and not anything more
LOLS! really sucker but referring to the cable company (u know who), rising costs of living already sux, now wanna dig out even more from soccer fan’s hard earn pocket money? watching soccer isn’t as enjoying as before, i would rather search for youtube’s goal highlight which is = 0 costs other than internet fees.
I am Singaporean living in Perth, and having to pay such an amount each mth, let alone a year is ridiculous. There is a channel in Perth which showed the last World Cup LIVE all through and this channel is free. Watching football is Singapore is definitely becoming more of a money making machine than being able to share the joys of watching football.I hope your stand to NOT get SingTel mioTV works out:)
Stand United all Football Fans:)
Well, somebody has to pay for the gazillions in transfer fees and weekly wages. I’ll not be surprised if soccer becomes Pay-Per-View in 5 years time. Its already happened for cricket.
And if you’re waiting for highlights from the news, too bad. They’ll only show the results, tables and maybe if we’re lucky, a couple of still photos. Thats it.
I’ve resigned myself to following my favourite Red Devils on the internet. At least, its less sinful than having to put aside money that must surely be needed elsewhere in the family.
Yes, why we consumers are always the ones to suffer for the bidding wars between Singtel and Starhub.
I thought Starhub should in fact lower their charges since they have something less to offer than before (no more Champions league). If a set meal costs $x, and the same set meal now doesn’t come with soup, should it not be cheaper?? But I guess this analogy doesn’t work in a “monopolised” market….you don’t want the set meal, you go hungry…as simple as that.
I won’t be surprised to see more and more die hard soccer fans opt out of the Singtel/Starhub “offers” and look for other “avenues” just to continue watching their Rooneys and Gerrards.
J.S.
if the fee rise again after this season, I’ll terminate the Sports Group. imagine this off-season watching some lousy repeats of games? whatever happened to those great games involving the top 6 teams?
Hey Football Fans, don’t wori too much, there maybe hope coming soon.
A jap restaurant ard the east area of pasir ris is planning to install
Singtel Mio tv to air thoses if not all the matches. Its airconditiond
with a large 37″ wall mounted tv, there are plenty of beers n beverages to go ard, not mentioning sushis n sashimis as well. Heard
they are in the process of negotiating for longer terms with singtel
til even after the 2010 world cup, n maybe after the Euros championship!Y not call them at 65830057 to find out more?
I second that ! Have already decided not to watch the champions league this season at least until something sensible happens. Let all the fans unite and refuse Singtel’s mioTV package, hopefully they suffer huge losses as a result and thus kick some senses into Singtel and Starhub that their stupidity in trying to outbid each other and simply pass the cost to fans has got to stop !
I hv grown w old english football since the days of John Toshack, Steve Heighway and Kevin Keegan in the all conquering Liverpool of division one.
RTS or SBC, was the national broadcaster back then. Saturday nites were almost reservd for 1 and half hours of live telecast football. No need to pay any single cent except the annual TV license fee.
Since then, watching soccer at home is now a premium and one has to pay an arm and a leg. Me then stop watching it. At first, there were withdrawal symptoms but gradually, I managed to stop watching it.
But if wanna watch good derby matches or favourite team matches, then me just plonked downstairs to the neighbourhood coffee shop in my khaki shorts and T-shirt to watch it.
Cost moi only 80cents for a cuppa just to watch a EPL match now. Somemore, sometimes got side-entertainment like Lampert can be called “Lampxx” in hokkien when he misses an easy shot at goal. Michael Owen is also known as microwave oven and Middlesborough as meelopok!
Join the rest and watch it together at the kopitiam. Cheap and good. It’s as simple as that.
Doran
Is not worth watching at all. Is not even our own country club playing. Even is the club that you support wins. Fans are not going to parade down orchard with the club flag.The most visit one of the fans pub to drink the heart out. Why pay to watch. Just watch the highlight will do.
We just can’t afford it, don’t be slave of football doping.
Its about time consumer take A UNITED-STAND, “enuf is enuf”
Broadcasters is taking the attitude that whatever the cost,
just pass it to the consumer.
I am a soccer fanatic, but have decided to give-up soccer, yes
won’t die.
I totally agree with the writer. I’m currently subscribing to StarHub and I don’t see why I have to pay extra just to watch CL. We must show these service providers that we, the fans, will not be bowed by their monopolizing ways. Let’s see who will buckle first.
Why should we be made to pay more when at the end of the day it is the footballers and the football clubs who will benefit? The WEEKLY pays for footballers are crazy. There will be no end to their ever rising paychecks and the ever increasing costs we will have to pay just to watch EPL. Am most glad to stop watching EPL.
again another increase. guess i wil not continue with the subscription.
Yes the cost of watching soccer is maddenning. Decided not to subscribe. Key matches will watch in kopitiam.
I already cancelled ALL my subcription ever since the price was doubled fm $15 to $26.75. Please also bare in mind that they also started charging for the box rental at 4 bucks every month so it is actually $31 per month. I was a starhub customer when they first started, after 6 blissful years, when they started to charge the box out of the blue, plus the increase in fees, I said that’s it!! I remember reading an article regarding the bidding war between sintel and starhub for the EPL, the deferrences in the bids was quite staggering and now we are made to pay for it!! ridiculous!!
Remember the cycle, how much is the player being paid and we talk alot about it but never mature enough to know that the cost must be from somewhere, the most expensive the player is the more cost viewer and supporter need to paid.
But many are willingly to paid, in fact you’re watching million dollars shows.
Why not support the local soccer ? If there is support and more revenue then the standard will rise. So why spend to boost the EPL and Champion league ? Spend and boost the Sleague and local economic lah !
I’m already paying StarHub for the Sports Group. No way am I shelling out more for SingTel, even though I’m a big fan of La Liga way before C. Ronaldo appeared. But we have to make a stand. There were many who had already stopped subscribing Starhub’s sports channels when the initial hike in fee was implemented. I can’t imagine I’m still paying the $27 each month now considering Starhub doesn’t even carry the Champions League, the biggest club football tournament in Europe or even the world. And I can’t just switch to SingTel because of UCL as I still watch other Starhub channels. So as far as I’m concerned, no I’m not subscribing to MioTV. Fans in Singapore have to make a stand if not we’ll be taken advantage of. And yes, it doesn’t just stop here, what with the World Cup just around the corner.
For mio TV u must have a home telephone line to apply for 1
i cant afford it since 2005.
But it does not mean i cant watch football, come on, this is a digital age, there are alternative ways of catching the match week in week out. Dont subject your pocket to Starhub and Singtel’s endless punk act.
Fans need to take a stand and demonstrate that they can sacrifice watching their favorite teams for a period of time. I think it would take just 6 months of collective boycott, to bring the greedy businessmen to their knees. Asian fans are being exploited and it bothers me to see ridiculously fat packets being made by European stars funded by the average fans here.
I agree. I’d rather be watching the highlights rather then the match itself, the increment and additions aren’t worth it. Already I’m paying a pretty steep price for the sports channel of StarHub.
I’m wondering just how far will these service providers go in their attempts to take reap profits from sports lovers.
I am a Reds supporter. I have gave up my SCV the moment they increased the price (which is I think 2 seasons ago). I watch at coffee shops, pubs, friends’ place although I really preferred the comfort of my home. It’s just don make economical senses. Also, there are too many “so called” previews/reviews by too many “commentators & guests” which you would have to pay them! The root cause is the broadcast prices which I m no surprise; a football “stars” get paid easily 60K pounds weekly while some get more than 100K pounds per week. It just doesn’t make sense. In my opinion, this sooner or later will kill the beautiful game. If you watch those football back in the 50s 60s 70s 80s, their skill are not much of a difference but their wages, is really going out of hands. Watching football should not be so expensive, just pray that it would go down someday (when FIFA or whoever fix a wage limit on players & managers). This day will come…
God bless
When will all these price hike end. If users keep paying, providers will keep rising. So why not someone starts a petition to get people to boycot all these service providers and lets see who wins in the end.
I’ve already stop my football subscriptions with Starhub since their last increase. And I’m getting on fine. I still manage to watch soccer in coffeeshop and pub.
I thinki it’s getting ridiculous. I think all the fans should make a stand. We are the consumers and I seriously think we should NOT be held ransom by the two service providers. The power should be with the consumers. If we could rally around ten thousand current subscribers to cancel at one time, it should prompt them to seriously think of increasing the price. It is for the greater good and for the near future. ( World Cup next year)
Right now, when Singtel and Starhub go for bidding, they simply do not care about the cost since it will eventually pass on to the consumers.
If we boycott them, it will change the business scenerio and force these two service providers to collaborate instead of compete. Let’s just boycott.
I think we should all together stop subscribe, without many supporter support the system. Whether is it Starhub or Singtel, they will begin to feel the pain of not enough supporter and they will lower the fees to increase the viewership as they need to cover back the cost. But its hard to gather the whole Singapore to cancel their subscription. If we are able to do this, i believe the price will drop instead of rise.
It is the fans who suffered most when it come to costs of watching soccer on TV – EPL, CL or World Cup, or other leagues.
Yet, it is also the fans who are always stupid to pay expensive subscription fees to watch them play on TV. Enough is enough…No?
I would rather watch it at coffee shop or friends house. Save money.
starhub should just create any channel for all soccer events(EPL, champion League, etc).
its not fair for those who wants to watch other sport but not soccer to pay more.
i will not pay for singtel’s coverage of the champions league since its in the wee hours of the morning.. and wad if the team i support gets knocked out early?
at least starhub’s offering more value by broadcasting all EPL matches live.. and the timing’s rite..so its worth it…
But any more price hike’s and i will terminate my subscription… i will watch using other sources or dun watch at all ..its just not worth it!!!
Absolutely outrages !! The sport itself is fragmented into many other products and the fans just have to pay, pay and pay.. Donkey years ago it wasn’t like that. You followed the clubs adventure from EPL to the occassional European football competitions. Even friendly matches you get to watch for free. Now it is nonsense.
I don’t understand why for so long need to wait for the (EPLC)i vote for liverpool(You will never walk alone)better give liverpool.Easy.
Last season we paid $26.75 to watch both BPL and Champions League and other football League(which I don’t really follow). Why are we still paying the same to Starhub since they are not showing the Champions League? Agreed with Andy Lim any more price hike me and my soccer kaki will also give up watching.
i will still watch the EPL.it worth it
Like Andy, i will give up watching altogether and rely on online commentary.
First, i am a hardcore football fan. But for sure im not signing Mio TV for the CL live telescast. Why are we paying to separate providers in the first place? I felt that Starhub should try the best to grab the exclusive rights for CL since most of us have Starhub cable rather than Mio. Why are they allowing their TV rivals to clinch it? Don’t make any business sense to me.. Personally i feel that this is more like a conspiracy therory.. I won’t definitely not subcribe Mio just for CL c’os by doing so, i would need to pay so much more additionals every month..
If Starhub would to increase the fees on their Sports channel again, i have the thoughts to cancel it as well. I would rather save the money every month and use it somewhere else.
Hi Soccer Fans in Singapore
I have reach point where enough is enough. Years back, we used to pay nothing for EPL matches and increases to $26.75 per month last year. Not forgetting we still have to pay the basic package subcribe and box rental to Starhub just to catch our craving for EPL matches.
If we have to subcribe to Mio for Champion Leagues matches, it only a matter weof time we have to pay more money to watch the La liga.
If we were to subcribe both services, it total up to maore than $100.00 a month just to watch a sport. Soccer is a game that bring thousands of fans together not becoming wage slaves for people that turn a sport into comercial revenues.
I’m a Liverpool fan as well but definitely won’t be paying extra for setting up another box just to watch champions league. Last time Starhub says they increase price due to the football rights. Now that they have lost the rights to show champions league, shouldn’t they lower their price too? I think its getting all too out of control. MDA should control the prices and not let us be the suckers.
Don’t watch EPL can not die no money buy food can die….
There are in fact 2 distinctive ways how all our favorite soccer matches, be it local or overseas, were heavily funded & reapping so much profits.
1) Match-fixing – You knew it, that’s what we called “Kelong”. The pools, the team managers etc., they all knew where the heavier bets went to right before the whistle blew-off, and they have ways to tell their teams “How to Play” to make sured the ball games looked as real as they can be to the fans & punters. I figured it out that’s why all the teams are training so hard everyday – to make sure they can coordinate seamlessly & perform according to the Bookmakers’ orders for the day…
2) Match tickets sales & Soccer Cable-TVs.
So folks, now you all knew what sux you. Its not what sux that makes a sucker, its those who knew what sux them but chosen to live with it and yet gripping about it, sux…
I dont want to be a victim of the Starhub and Singtel. If the prices are going up, I will definitely give up the existing Sport Channel. No doubt about it… Let’s us see who has more power.. We or Starhub or Singtel…
Can watch at your friendly neigbourhood coffee-shop (if you can endure the noisy attmosphere…
Football is now business, not sports.. they are targeting the increasing soccer fans. Why dun they increase on the others sports?
The bottom line is that life goes on with or without cable TV.
Don’t be a fool to part with your money to pay people who don’t give two hoots whether you live or die.
hi there,
It’s ludicrous that hardworking fans like us are enriching the millionaires footballers in Europe while our local professionals are ekeing out a living.
I have discarded the likes of Starhub and Mio. I am making my stand and heading for the the coffeeshops.
Rdgs
i totally agree on this article. i will not suscribe to MIO tv just to catch my fav team in action. its totally not worth it. i will most likely catch the CL on some steaming websites. i am sure fans around singapore will also feel the same way.
Similarly, I am a die-hard Liverpool fan and a hardcore soccer addict. I totally agreed with Ion that it just does not make sense to fork out additional costs to watch Champions League football. That said, should StarHub start to increase significantly the costs to watch BPL matches, that is it. Will then resign to not watching live matches at all. Period.
If everyone boycotts the football channel services, the service providers have no choice but to bring down the prices. If only someone can come up with a way to bring together people to boycott them.
I agree…worst to worst i’ll give up watching soccer altogether too. Economy is bad, retrenchment is everywhere but subscription to cable tv have yet to be revised to meet die hard football fans need. Back then we use to have one channel solely for sports but now everything comes with a price. It’s all about money now rather than passion.
I love EPL but have given up watching since the last price shot up. I miss EPL but the cost is just too high for me. It is not worth it.
The price is getting out of hand. I think the 2 providers should work together and bid cooperatively rather than competitively. Think about it, the higher the price, the more fans will terminate their subscriptions and watch at coffeeshops/pubs, so who suffer in the end? Certainly not the fans! Moreover, most of the supported clubs have online subscriptions for all their EPL, european games including reserves, youths games at a LOWER price!
Not quite long ago, we can watch all this football match free.
I followed up until starhub S$15 + Basic S$ 25.
After Starhub increase from S$15 to $$26 , I terminated everyingthing including Basic.
Sometime when I free , just watch at coffee shop.
I save about S$ 70 every month now.
its’ cheap compared to other countries, just pay and watch, just imagine without soccer at night to entertain you, where will you go?
1)Disco
2)Drink
You spend much more than staying at home with rooneys and gerrards.
Think!
I’ve already given up watching football totally last year. Don’t see why I have to pay the for the basic channels when I only watch football. So for me is not $26.75, it is $60++ to watch just football. This is disgusting, nonsense.
I have a contract with Starhub which will expire in a few more weeks. I will not renew the contract to watch EPL which I have been watching since the Cantona days. Ya, its true, dont watch wont die lah. I will just bear with the Soccernet commentary on internet.
MU fan
Is it a demand and supply thingy. Let’s all stop watching and the price will disappear.I didn’t watch the last european championship and I will not pay for the next world cup tooo…. Now for MIO? Sure I will not pay. Infact because of my contract if not I will stop my starhub TV too…
How about that?
Soccer is a game that’s filled with passion and love. Be it the fans or the players. Business is in the way of all fans around the world no matter what club they support. If prices are going to keep soaring then there will come a point in time where everyone will stop watching soccer. That will be really sad. Soccer is beautiful and passionate because people follow it, people love to watch it. If they take all those away, maybe one day when a new Gerrard rises up, people wont even know how he look like.
I refused to let myself be subjected to such day light robbery. Where is the so call competition to ensure competitive prices for viewers? These companies are just plain cut throat profiteering. I have terminated all SCV subscription and will switch to streaming website for my kicks.
The fans should unite and boycott MIO altogther.
Why should we allow ourselves to be blackmailed?
I missed most of the last World Cup because I was not prepared to pay anything more than what I am now paying for my EPL. I am mentally prepared to miss the next World Cup as I do not wish to be financially manipulated by some greedy business deals.
Well said, Andy, ” don’t watch football also won’t die – life goes on. And I have better plans for the money saved. Thank you Mio….
I agree. We are already paying more here than in some other countries in Asia. If the prices goes up again, i’ll stop my subscription. It just gives me a reason to go to bed earlier.
I remember the good old days when watching English League was free. In fact, I made a stand several years’ ago. I cancelled my Cable TV when the price was raised from $8 to $15. Nowadays, I just watch free delayed highlight available from the Internet, or drop by the coffee shops when there are good matches (eg Liverpool vs Man U).
I have already stop subscribing 2 years ago, I love my football, and actually do not mind paying. But to know that ESPN actually bidded lower then Starhub but yet the amount was enough to secure the rights,and yet Starhub came in with a higher bid and then passed the cost to the fans was just disgusting. A simple collaboration between the 2 would have ended with a win-win-win situation.
In fact, if we continue to choose between Singtel and Starhub, we are doing nothing except encourage the 2 to increase their prices further. The best is not to subscribe to any of them, the message has to be louder then that.
Do you think they care for the football fans here ? what they care is how to make more Money…Maybe all the football fans should boycott together for 1 season by giving up the football channel & show them Singapore football fan can be united together.In retail there is this words ( If you don’t take care of your customers someone will ) We football fans here deserve more.
The game has become toooo expensive that one coult not afford to watch now adays. So with Singtel have a share of these pies in the Champion League, I no longer could enjoy the game at home anymore. Lets catch the Champion Leage 2009 in action in your nearby kopi tiam.
Lets go to your nearest kopitiam to watch Champion League 2009-2010.
I think starhub should consider cutting down on the price of the sports package. Starhub claims because of its rising fees they have tyo pay, so they have to increase the prices. Now that The Champion’s League is no more at Starhub and we have to pay Singtel’s mio tv to watch The Champion’s League,should Starhub consider lowering down price of the sport’s package
Football in Singapore has become more of a money-generating industry rather than a way of life like it is in Europe. There the fans are treated with respect not only by the club itself but by the broadcasting stations because they both know they need us fans to survive.
Whereas on this island where money talks, literally, they’re using us and the rest of East Asia as a source of income without thinking of the consequences it will have. It’s pathetic really, the way they’re making us pay more. They know nothing about football, everything about making the extra buck.
I never watch football, basketball, baseball or any kind of sports.
I never buy toto or 4D or any kind of lucky draw.
I only spend on food and neccesary clothings.
Even Man U come to Spore give me free tickets i also won’t go and watch.
In vietnam, cables TV only cost US$4 with up to 50 channels.
In Spore, only with this attitude can we force these cable companies to press the price to the botttom.
There’s always alternatives out there, like streaming in from China or other countries. In any case, you can’t be staying up to watch the match most of the time. Moral of the story: We don’t have to make the rich richer.
Things are already expensive…another price hike…i think alot of people would try other ways to watch.
Too much is too much!! Why did Singtel go get a pc of the big pie instead? Paying more & more for soccer??? I too am gg to make my stand, I am not gg to submit myself to sign up for MioTV.
Without us fans support, just let Mio die and then they will realized that the amt of money they had secured their contract for will not be shared with us the fans!!
Andy, do you play football? if you do, you should understand passion.
& for me, anything for passion. but no, i wouldnt pay to extra just to catch acouple of champions league matches at the comfort of my own home. epl matches, at home with a bag of chips on the sofa. champions league, at a nearby coffee shop with friends.
110% agreed, andy! me 2 getting fed up wif da so-called price competition (do we get a fair price?)…we’re treated like some hard-up soccer fans 4 a long time…tink we cant survive without soccer & we’ve been paying thru our nose 4 so many years! it’s enough…i’ll stop da whole cable if they increase da price!
EPL will still be the biggest attraction becaused of its airing time, the european cup will lose out because it is air in the wee hours. most hardcore fans, me included will be able to do without it and sleep and most probably watch highlights of it thru news or internet.
Just boycott Mio Champions League and things will take its natural cause.
I’m more worried about World Cup 2010 though, I’m sure MIO will go all out to bid at all costs.
I had been watching football for the last 18 years. I predict in the future FA Cup will be a separated channel with the EPL and additional charges will be made. $42.65 each month. Or $511.80 over 12 months? Without hesitate, my answer is I will cancel my football channel. Good bye to football.
Don’t they realise that there is a recession going on here?..hello? I agree with Andy, give up watching altogether, just watch to the news will do.
I have given up totally when the price was revised few seasons ago..I remembered that i have to pay like over $50 per mth with 3 basic channels. At that time, many of my friends have done the same as me. The first few nights are bad but we human beings adjust to a change in environment very quickly. Its really not a big deal if no football too.
Just think of the sum of money you can save and spend them on better things..
already given since the lat hike.. given up on starhub cable altogather. pay this pay that.. now mio TV. pay and pay.. when stop?
euro pay, world cup pay again. soon s-league also need to pay.
Espn no more EPL. one channel less but money go up.
better catch the moments on the net. no need pay. no need wait for goals. just click and you see all the highlights.
im getting fed up with all this price hikes.. the telcos will say that prices have increased etc.. i prefer to pay slightly more for champions league if it’s starhub and not mio tv.. now u have to have two different telcos to watch one sport.. when will this end??
if there was a boycott of both telco tv services to remind them that we the fans of football will have to resort to boycotting, I’M IN!!!!!
I do agree with Andy. Anymore hikes and I will stop the Sports Channel from Starhub. I won’t be forking out anymore money for it. Not worth it at all!!! Fans like us suffer because of companies eyeing for the telecast right. They should do their sums before bidding for it, not the other way round.
Have to pay cos the kids just luv it, maybe they will have another record transfer fee next season, guess its getting out of hand. Its just like money is not enough.
I guess if everyone takes the stand of not watching the Champions League (myself included), the package for the Champions League may well include the World Cup 2010, with a couple of dollars extra. They can’t win if no one wants to buy.
I remembered when I was a teenage, watching the beautiful games used to be FREE! Every Sunday, I just stayed tune to ch.5 sports Sunday! Those were the good old days and football was truly the beautiful game! And I did paid $15 when starhub started to own the rights, but ever since it raised to $26.75! I told myself enough is enough! I canceled it off straight away without a second thought! My salary have been on the decline year by year, but the players’ pays have sky-rocketing! Where’s the rationale?
singtel and starhub is one big family. m1 will probably come into the football picture sooner or later. anyway it has been quite a while starhub dominates it before singtel steps in to grab a fraction of the profit pie. step by step to make you pay-and-pay isn’t it the way many sg companies do their sums? most s’poreans have weak hearts. if all 3 telco companies were to grab money at one go, trust me, sph will have a lot more news coverage. to complain, to whine for sure, you will get used, and get over it.
I paid for starhub sport group last time and when they informed us to pay extra for this 1 or 2 channel to watch specific soccer channel, we give it up totally. Cancel the whole sport channel. Pissed off.
I’ve stopped my cable tv about 2seasons back, it just keeps going up and up, I mean the fees. And I only watch the big matches. Ya, it has reached a point for me where I’ve better things to do with my money and time.
paying the same price to Starhub but getting lesser.
paying additional to SingTel to watch what I’ve used to get and now still under contract.
bottom line, once my contract is over, no more sucking money out of me from Starhub & SingTel. I will either watch at coffeeshop or watch it online.
What a major headache for us football fan. A sports that we love so much and now we have to folk out so much just to watch them play.
Being The Gunners supporter, my husband has decided to subscribe both to Starhub which we already hv for many years and now with the addition of MIO TV.
Boycott is a good idea too
It is absolutely insanity to pay so much to watch the games. Not doubt you will be able to watch it live. I think its better to watch the matches in coffeeshop with uncles and have some beer rather than watching it at home.
Being a football die hard fan, its difficult to say ‘Don’t see la…” if your team is playing but to pay at a high cost, I would rather spent the money to eat and get the updates on other sources. Don’t see won’t die, Don’t eat WILL die…why spent it on the service provider when you can get the info from eleswhere….
I think it’s really ridiculous that the broadcasting have to be divided by two different providers. it doesn’t make any sense at all. besides, i am not very comfortable with mio having had bad experience with it.
we are being charged way too much already for football and now this? i might as well just terminate everything if i am paying the same amount as i did last season but being provided with less games this season. when a gazillion people terminate theirs cable services, let’s see then what the providers will do. will they revert to the original or come up with sth that will make the fans and the people who make the providers rich (us) happy?
is it very hard to get both providers to show the same thing? let the fans pick which provider they are more comfortable in.wouldn’t everyone benefit then?
Ransom. Thats what it is. Whether the providers like the usage of the term or not, is irrelevant. Their stance is repulsive:’Pay up, or lose out’. All football fans in Singapore are being held to ransom.
What i cannot comprehend is the explanation given by Starhub on the refusal to reduce its football package price: ‘We now offer more football channels’. Who cares? What i want to watch is purely EPL games. So what if their coverage increases from La Liga to Seria A to Zimbabwe National Womens League? What everyone wants is to watch the Big 4 battle it out for supremacy.
Thus, give me solely EPL matches, and minus all the other redundant channels. The audacity to charge the same price without Champions League football is hilarious. Are they trying to say the other useless channels are equivalent to Champions League football? I dare their spokesman to make that statement. Thus, the bottom line is simple: No champions league, equals cheaper price.
I have taken a very simple stance: I won’t be held to ransom, and the only way not to do so is to catch the highlights until someone decides to be reasonable in the pricing.
Having both set-top box, I’ll readily jump ship, if MioTV acquires the rights to the BPL as well, and cancel my starhub sports package, just to let them know, the Football Channel is not good enough, please bring back ESPN please, like what Singtel is doing.
As for the Champions League, no, I won’t pay the extra, the money is in BPL, not CL, which is telecast in the wee hours of the morning… most of us have to work, to fund this addiction to football.
Of course if don’t watch football won’t die but for a die-hard fan, It’s a totally different case. I prefer to continue watching the EPL with starhub and just watch highlights of Champions league online.
already given up the soccer on TV. Just too ex to pay.
The most 2 games i get to watch per weekend.
Why not the pay tv give us a choice of the team we want to watch rather then subcribe the whole sports channel. Where we dont watch all the channels at all time. Pay as what we watch not to charge for the unwanted channels.
If they think only making money then all the poor people no need to watch sports call soccer in future.
Pay TV company pre-plan the teams that viewers want and give a option for the viewer to choose and charge accordingly. Not always to put your cost on our head for the unwanted sports channels.
hey guys..i think all should quit watching football on tv..if all the fans do that perhaps the tv company will reduce the price back to normal..there are always users right..so use it..users will always be right..n john doe is right..all the fans of football should boycott
FYI, indonesia and malaysia watch epl matches on their free-to-air channels, although only for selected matches. Just wondering why singapore cannot have that too.
last time i used to watch on starhub channels, but after the price hike i cancelled it. try watching it online, quality not clear and matches delay by few mins from live but worth it…
initially when starhub competitor singtel move in for the champions league rights
i thought competition will favours us as consumers
but i was totally wrong
now i not only ends up paying more
i need more space for my extra set up box
its more inconvenient than one box
i remember just about few years ago
i pay so much less for..
epl..serie a…spanish liga..dutch…french
champions league and uefa cup
anyway you can see how the cost are going sky high
look at the players transfer fees and salaries and you will know why
but do fees and salaries match up their standard?
i think most are overpriced or overpaid
i know football is big money now
but without the fans football is nothing
They are just ripping us off!!! Internet offers highlights of the matches, thus we can do away with those money grabbing telcos.
Will it end up both telcos try to outbid one another at the expense of us!!??? I will be watching EPL at my neighbourhood kopitiam. hope to see u guy..;)
Well, I canceled my subscription and hope everyone follows so that the service providers realize that we are not cash cows and charge us a reasonable amount for our footy. Just so anyone here questions my love affair with the EPL. Ive been watching in when Keagan use to have an afro and the shorts they wore was so tight that every time they kicked a ball I was worried that it might rip! And no I’m not a Liverpool or A Man U fan. Forest FTW.
That’s right dude. Do not condone to starhub/singtel actions. Its all preplan. u shall see world cup package coming next year. I’m dead sure singtel would get the deaL for the world cup. its all planned, HOLY SHIT. Then that package would be around 45 bucks for that world cup 2010 period.
Anyway nowadays u can watch live in several websites. AND the best part is its live streaming. Go to any betting website n jus punt minimum one dollar on any live match, u can watch for 90mins. Support soccer not those TV rights kanz
Strange thing is, i had watch it in mongolia, malaysia, thailand and amany third world country. Their cable channel can go up to 100+.
For example, mongolia is USD 8 for 100+ channel? why developed country like us need to pay so much?
I’m fed up too…..I’ll continue with my Starhub subscription for BPL and for Champions League etc. i’ll switch to Indonesia channel or internet STREAMING.
I have stopped suscribing to footy channel for a good 2 years now and i dont regret it. Gone are the days matches are so exciting and gripping. Most seems to be a tactical bore. I am content with just following the results and seeing the goal highlights on youtube. if all die hard fans make a stand and stop suscribing then these operators will come down (I.e. no demand at the pricing they are offering. Rite now they think whatever price demand is inelastic) Having said that Singapore is full of rich people, they will still find these rates pretty affordable and cheap…so no point airing the views…if you dont like being robbed with the high prices, then just do it! dont suscribe
gave up one season ago. Makes no sense to pay stupid money anymore.
football sounds like cigarette to me now…once u get addicted, u just pay more for the same thing…
I for one will not be getting mio for Champ Lge as well. Not worth it especially if I’m just following my team Man Utd.
Cable operators can charge all they like but it is the market that dictates what actually is sustainable. Economics 101….. Demand and Supply.
Fans got to say hey, its getting crazy. Let’s terminate this shit. Demand falls and prices have to drop. Without the fans to support the team…. its just a lose lose lose business for all.
I will buy ticket for a Champ Lge or Premier Lge showdown match at a cinema if it comes to that.
Hell to soccer, i dont even subcribe it after losing so much on betting & now keeping myself clean sheet with such activities..prefer to play online game though save all the trouble paying…@~@
~
Does SCV reduct it charges without showing champion league ?
i support singapore united.
i just follow the result, watch live score .com FREE
anyway, after the weekend match over, u will be watching replay and
replay of football matches that is worst than channel 8 chinese drama
Lets stop paying and watching and they will beg us to give us watch free.
Isn’t it better if fans gather together and watch ‘LIVE’ matches in coffee shops or some entertainment centres? I enjoyed doing this every weekend.
The increase in cost will surely sent some people resort to illegal taping of channels as people would be reluctant to pay more. If I were the service provider, I would rather make less profit to retain my current customers than to make up the cost of subscription and in the end loose tons of customers. WIll it result in lost of profit for Singtel or starhub? Nobody knows for now.
I myself am a hardcore liverpool fan…..but i stopped subscribing to cable tv for about a year now…i make do at coffeeshops and pubs.
Can’t help but think what’s going to happen if Starhub fail to secure the right for the world cup or the next few EPL seasons. Are we all going to switch to mio? What about those who sign up on a 2 yrs plan but in the end Starhub lost the rights, they will really become suckers.
Early this year when starhub remove their pay tv packages and turn everything into al la carte, its a move to increase customers monthly subscription. If there is anymore price increase I’m going to have to terminate the pay and pay tv.
I’ll give up sports group if the price is increased.
i don’t watch that much soccer, so i will not pay for the increase.
I advise Starhub or SingTel to separate the football channels from other sports channels. They should create a package just for football and another package for all the other sports.
No way am I subscribing to sports pack for this yr’s BPL or Champs league… enough is enough. I’ll just wait for next June when WC2010 comes ard and decide frm there. By then, the new BPL deal would have been signed too…
It is the same as the transport system. Like the SMRT and SBS, they increased the fares with the excuses of fuel hikes and the installation of mobile TV and EZ-link system. Pay more for convenient sake.
Singtel and Starhub increase subscription fees just because now it costs more for the broadcasting rights. Why can’t companies absorb the extra expenses to retain customers and have happy customers. Surely these companies still make profit monthly right?
Can someone just convince me why are all these things happening??? Is the living standard in Singapore going to be unbearable for SIngaporeans?
Why don’t SingTel and StarHub communicate and have a win win win stage ( SingTel / StarHub / Football Fans everyone are happy ).
Money are out from my pocket, I won’t die for not watching EPL but will exhausted without beer.
Wake-up SingTel & StarHub ???
As usual, the price hike issue is a never ending story. No way m i going to pay more and sign on mio tvs. It is not a matter of not supporting, but to be fair, to pay so much and at the same time, sacrifice our sleeping time just does not make any more sense. May force myself to stop watching football totally if this price hiking continues. If only all football fans can stand together and start to boycott both telcos services, I will be pleased….
It is the same as the transport system. Like the SMRT and SBS, they increased the fares with the excuses of fuel hikes and the installation of mobile TV and EZ-link system. Pay more for convenient sake.
Singtel and Starhub increase subscription fees just because now it costs more for the broadcasting rights. Why can’t companies absorb the extra expenses to retain customers and have happy customers. Surely these companies still make profit monthly right?
Can someone just convince me why are all these things happening??? Is the living standard in Singapore going to be unbearable for SIngaporeans?
These telcos are out bidding each other at the expense of the fans, just getting another set top box just to watch champ.league is troublesome and yet have to pay extra subcription…better sleep early and save $
I`m already boycotting.. see u guys tmr @ PRATA SHOP yio chu kang rd!!
I will not subscribe to singtel mio tv…EPL is being played every week so i would rather pay starhub to watch EPL matches every week rather than wasting my money on singtel just to watch only a few matches of UCL which is not played every week but instead once in a month of sometimes even longer. I will just watch UCL live on my PC.
Starhub offers a more comprehensive package and convenience for EPL and Euro action on TV and on Mobile. Champions league can be watched on delay telecast on Goal TV. Nowadays, with the HD recorder and more enhanced channels, you won’t miss any game. Moreover, there’s free to watch soccer games in the internet. Just search the web and you’ll find. Don’t be sad….there’s always a way if you bother to find. Cheers
This is not making any sense… all these bidding wars on TV rights… is this not a way to promote monopoly?? So what if the winning bidder gets the rights at a high price? The costs will just be pushed down to the consumers… When SingTel launched cable TV services we all thought that the presence of competition would keep the prices competitive.. seems like it’s wrong.. I see no end to this unless bidding of TV rights is abolished altogether and the broadcasters just sell broadcasting rights to multiple companies instead of auctioning single rights… and yah.. I will not be taking up the Champions League and I may even quit watching football altogether if this goes on…
Who owns Singtel n Starhub? I rest my case….
ye man, this sucks!!!
just cancel your subscription altogether and watch it at coffee shops. can enjoy watching football with an atmosphere at the same time, teach those telcos a lesson that we are not ATMs whose money can be leeched as and when they like. if not they can just go on raising prices at the expense of us, the consumers.
i thought competition is supposed to promote good and fair pricing to the consumers but instead, looked at what happened? i missed the good old times when epl and world cup was shown on channel 5, now u can’t even get highlights of it….
I’m also concerned about the price of watching football nowadays.
I do not understand the rationale of bidding war for a small market likes S’pore.
Why can’t one party just bid and then share the screening rights with the rest. Let the public decide which service provider they want to use. After all what was wrong with the original concept when ESPN won the right but showed through Starhub and even Mediacorp in some case like Champs Lge.
Now we have Singtel joining in. At a time when Temasek Hldgs is losing money we a Temasek co which I believe is going to bidd sky high just to get the rights regardless of whether there’s a porper platform to show the matches. Why waste all that money. Stick to your Singtel grid girls.
Alfred
boycott watching soccer!
I am with all of you. Refuse to subscribe. Anyway hardly watch champions league live because of the wee hours when it is shown. Maybe the semifinals and final only.
Singtel please low subscription fees than Starhub
thank u
In terms of making a stand I have opted to cancel the starhub sports group after the end of the last season and so far I didn’t feel tempted to re-sign given the ridiculous development in price hikes. Let the service providers knock at our doors with offers instead of the fan running after the BPL and Champions League. I can only agree with the rest of the guys that it will be much more fun to watch the games at the neighborhood kopitiam.
My friends always telling me that watching football in Indonesia is free, no extra subscription or extra money needed. All free, from SeriA, Premier, Bundesliga, Primera and EreDivision Netherlands (if i write it wrong so sorry). imagine that all free, for starhub and singtel said it’s too expensive is crap, they just monopolize everything. I did cancel my sport channel in starhub. better to watch in kopitiam, sometimes better to follow directly from the net. cheap, fast and live.
cheers,
I think that the current rate for watching soccer in Singapore is reasonable and in fact much cheaper compared to what the Europeans are footing and compared to many developed countries.
I do not agree that we should compare the rates to developing countries because the standard of living is totally different.
I look forward to pay per match basis. I used to watch from 1900 to 0530 in the past. Nowadays I am more focused and wish the authorities could look into this flexibility for viewers like me who are very focused.
Someone need to stand up and lead the boycott
I will not condone anymore price hike for sports. Fans is always being at the mercy of service providers. That is because we are not united enough to make our stand to them. A lot will complain but the end of the day they will still pay and being subdued to their demands. Unless there is a national boycott of ALL/MAJORITY sports fans, I doubt the few of us will help. Anyway for me EPL is enough as I wun hav the time to watch the Champions League since mostly were played in the wee hours.
Don’t bother to tink that the authority will step in on this crazy money pie struggle as they will always say the same thing. Open competition.
People, we are at the ends of unnecessary price hikings.
As, hardcore football fans, we have the rights to enjoy soccer at an affordable rate, not fork out extra cash every season.
So, what will we have to pay by 2020 to watch a simple BPL match, $200!??
And that might be possible even!
For all this corporate industries who are greedy for money, we, the fans end up suffering.
We have to put a fullstop to this, simply boycott singtel, and in doing so, that will be a message to starhub to watch their prices.
We have to stop this ridicule.
Both singtel And starhub are being smart in making money. They know football won’t die in singapore and obviously they are taking full advantage.. i think if we guys keep paying upon all thier request and undertaking we going to be losing out more than $500 a yr,.. and its not as if we can be always home to watch it.. its a no go for MIO TV.. i think if this is getting out of hands i would most likely cut off everything… and just watch finals on channel 5 if there is.. if not i ithink its not a big lost….we don’t gain anything only our payment make them gain… thats the big fat truth.
Singtel subscription fees EPL EPL EPL EPL
If the cable would increase the fee, I will rather spend S$0.90 for a cup of coffee in coffeeshop to watch EPL match.S$0.90 per cup watch 2 night per week 1 month only S$7.20 , 12 month S$86.40. Watch together with fan with no nagging by wife no didturb by kid and a cup of kopi C priceless.
I am glad that there are many fans out there have the same thought. Both Starhub n Singtel knows well how many subscribles are available in the little “red dot” and yet they tried to outbid each other. Is it our problem that they can’t make $? Go n find more sponsorship lor. Or better still, buy over another country TV station so tat can access to bigger market share, like Singtel does in so many countries (telco) already. Thought we suppose to go regional???
I won’t be signing up for Singtel mioTV and once Starhub increase their price, I will also join the rest at Kopithiam. More bidders suppose to benefit consumer but it seem in S’pore this is again a special situation where u don find them anywhere in the world that consumer need to pay more instead of less.
Can u guys still remember the last European Cup where all of us got to foot some $ to pay to watch n Starhub was the authorize boardcaster? Even at the eve of the 1 month programme which Starhub offer at a minimum sum, I can’t be bother to take up. So if this time round for the world cup again need to pay, just pay for a cup of kopi, tea but not me.
Jaston,
I can tell you why both the telcos are still continuing doing this, that’s because there are still enough of us subscribing to them. Its simple math really, they raise the price by 100% and in the event will lose 30, 40% of their customers, there will still be surplus. So if I am the telco, you know what I will do?,……. increase the price again next season.
This is real stupid. Internally 2 companies compete to pay more to foreigner countries at the expense of Singaporean. This is the most creative leakage of modern times. CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO SOME THINKING PLEASE.
I think it’s absurd the fans have to fork out that much more to catch football live again this season. Who said competition would give us better deals out to be shot!
Quite honestly, it just reflects Singapore’s inability, as well as that of her telco companies, to manage well and efficiently for the benefit of the consumer! A while ago, many said the lack of competition didn’t give the consumers the best results and now with competition in the market, it isn’t doing any much better.
However, I think it’s a trend that starting to kick-in in cable TV. Just like how they at first had HBO and star movies just for movies and now they’ve included a demand TV for you to catch shows and to fork out even more cash to watch the same movies! I think it’s absurd and it’s time the consumers made a stand! It’s a the recession for crying out loud!
Being a SCV sub. ever since it started many many years ago, I’ve been very satisfied with the variety of many sports telecasts. Football is a must see especially my loved Liverpool FC. I can only hope that both starhub and singtel can share the rights and let all fans of both the EPL and Champions league or rather all the Football games, be shown on both SCV and MioTV it will only benefit both companies and all fans.
I believe it would make both companies benefit with an even playground to see who would be the best in any sports events be it football or any other medium of sports…
Hoping or fat hopes???
Very soon, some other telcos will get the broadcast right’s for FA Cup, World Cup, YOG, etc….even S-League..???…hahhaaa then who will suffer ?…yes, we the sports fans…..!!!
Boycott. Must Boycott. Die Die Must Boycott!!!
I just feel that our Starhub and Singtel are ever trying get the most out of us football fans, we the football fans have been taken advantage of. All they care about is money and making more money of us, football fans. This really makes me sick to the core!!!!
If you all are really serious about this, I suggest rallying online ALL the football fans in Singapore by cancelling(may not be possible with die-hard fans of course) the Football subscription which is precisely what I did… I voted with my wallet and bit the bullet and then it will be interesting what happens. It absolutely ‘killed’ my interest in the ‘beautiful’ game.
I have decided to give up watching soccer in 2008 completely. Now i have get used to life without Sports Channel at home and didn’t even think it is worth paying to watch these under perform overly paid players most of the time. I find reading news on soccer and youtube good enough. My own thoughts. Soccer is like smoking and if you can quit smoking you definitely can quit watching it. Why let Singtel and Starhub earn our money so real easy?
I wouldn’t worry too much though. Monthly costs to watch soccer are still barely bearable, because ppl choose to watch EPL, and give up the Champions League altogether.
If the costs are really up to the point(maybe another increase in price) that the majority feels its unbearable, then it is an opporturnity for a cheaper alternative to enter the market and grab their share of the profits. Internet TV maybe? or another competitor?
We can only hope that the government relax their rules to let these cheaper alternatives enter the market.
Screw Singtel Mio! I hope this whole champions league with them flops big time. Don’t understand why Starhub and Singtel have to pass on the costs of their bidding wars to the consumers. If its going to cost, then don’t bid such a high price! If you want to charge such a high price, make sure the channel works, how many times last year the football channels had no reception and you are in the midst of a LIVE match. Screw starthub too!
Yeh men u r wright.. anyting can make money anyone will step in. not to think for others who suffer. for me is better to sleep then watching all the waste (money and time)
Terminated sports channel subs 3 years ago and never miss it! Why be a sucker throwing hard-earned $$ onto their ‘gravy train’. These chaps earn $$millions and are laughing all the way to the bank…and to the pubs…where they get drunk and beat up ‘English East Asians’.
Go watch Tri-Nations on ABC – its ‘free’!
I’m definitely not gonna suscribe to miotv just to watch chump’s league.suscribing to that would make us look like chumps..at the rate its going, it’ll be cheaper to go europe to watch a match then to watch it at home…just hope singtel and starhub stop bidding for the same stuff…it only drives the prices higher and i’m sure sooner or later they would lose customers..if not kopitiam here i come!
Just for Champions league, not necessary to subscribe MioTV. Just tune the channels like RCTI through the antenna port in HDB flat. The channel starts showing from knock out stage every year.
Maybe we should ask our malaysian or indonesian friends how much they have to pay to watch the matches. EPL or Champions League.
What about S-league?? Friday nite FREE!! standard not there yet but still football. hehehehehe
If price went up, I better bring the sport group down. What is the point of paying so much when I hardly watch it? On top of it, I will miss some of the big matches due to work. So, is wiser to save those money for rainy days.
i dont think it will be that easy for me to give it all up..
these huge corporations dont understand real football fans.
i love football. but then its not practical with so many cable tv sets. and paying for a whole new one.we pay only becos we love football and they are exploiting it….
goal tv is useless. who cares about SPL or eredivisie?
why do they want to spoil my happiness? singtel should not have been so nosey.
I have made the painful decision to stop watching football altogether. The initial increase from $15.00 to $26.75 was already steep enough. The addition of golf channels by StarHub is useless to a football fan like me. Now with another setup box to grapple with, I am finally calling it quits.
footballers and the clubs will be the ones creaming most of these $$. no two ways about this. someone has to pay for their high life, clubbing and eye candies. price to consumers can only drop when it gets commoditise….like “parallel imports” channels or increase number of distribution rights. even with drop in demand due to price (like you and me not signing up), it is unlikley to impact the top footballers/clubs….they have the skills and looks, there is no alternative.
Starhub and Singtel will be bidding for the EPL broadcast’s right for the next season. I’m wondering if there is another price hike. I will completely give up watching football after the World Cup 2010.
i started to watch online 3 season ago, which is free… although the resolution is not as good as TV, but still quite good. only about 30sec delay… why pay more to watch on TV?
Hello, everyone!!!
Economic Crisissss…who die first… people like us die first..
When i am in China, I watch live soccer games for free…No doubt, we cannot select what match we want to see.. but i think that is something nice.
I don’t understand why we are paying so much over in singapore.
For god sake…please think of those who cannot afford…at least let those who don’t have the money, have so opportunity to watch quality soccer.
starhub has been raising prices for almost everything, not just the sports group. there was the breaking up of the chinese group into the basic and upgrade sets. this breaking up allowed them to get more revenue when customers decide to keep the channels and pay alot more.
this wont end anything soon.
maybe M1 should come into the picture and show us that we as the customers, really deserve better.
With transfer fees spiralling upwards and the cost of TV rights ever increasing, I just can’t see the cost of football channel not increasing every year.
Many of my friends have had enough and have not continued with their monthly subscription. With less people subscribing and the yearly broadcasting cost escalating, the burden will only get heavier when less people are paying… (will you be the few to continue shouldering the heavy burden when other gave up)? You decide.
Football is something $$ cant buy! Its a undying passion for the sports and the teams u support.In this case,we football fans are like a pitch.Two teams,Singtel vs Starhub.Whoever wins or loses we pay the price.The pitch gets bad and no one cares.The teams get paid more as years go because we cash out for them.We are providing the base.
Its about passion, not some money making business.I have the right to blame both Singtel n Starhub.Did they get some opinions from us huh.Arent we a democratic nation?We a say for everything right.I m not gonna subscribe to MIO Tv for Champions League.Forget abt it! World Cup is a must.I bet its gonna be $50.Who Knows.?I wld condem the price hike in Starhub for the existing sports customers.
**GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED**
I will give up watching go for live commentary instead
Singaporeans soccer fans nowadays have no money, no time, no energy, to watch soccer. Lets watch American football, Car racing, Ice Skating, Golf .. cheaper rite?? But do we like watching those sports?
atrocious…..i will just watch CL on internet streaming. quality not good but its better than paying more. by the way, why can’t starhub then lower their fees since we will be watching less? My belief is that, starhub and singtel have shares in each other thus this move by them so that both can benefit.
A time will come when football will be a dying industry thanks to the greed of all eg players,agentsnetc.
it will be the goose that kills the golden egg.
i have the mio setup box coz it comes free with the broadband subscription.. even so, i will not pay extra for champs league… on that thought, will our starhub subscription fee be reduced since champs league is now with mio tv? the answer is obvious
an example of getting screwed again and again, dont flush your money down the whatever portal toilet bros just to see epl. Yeah kopi tiam sounds good, but soon a cuppa gonna cost 20 cts more too because telcos raised the price.
yeah, we are such a predictable lot, they know we make noise but are suckers at end of day. telcos laughing all the way $$$$$$$$$ to the bank
Has been a Man U fan all my life, but finally decided to cancel away the football channel last year…… They r like robbing from us to pay for the already SUPER RICH footballers……. CRAP!!! If happen to be in PUB then i will watch….. if not, forget about it!!!
World cup???? Dun even dare to think about it!!!!
I have lived peacefully the past few months with football.
I can skip the EPL and the Champions’ League..
If there is a really interesting match, I can pop down to a pub where the atmosphere is worth the extra..
Nope – I am not going to sign up
With the poor economic situation and retrenchments and paycuts….I dont think I can afford anymore price hikes.
No I will Not subsribe if they do raise it. I’d rather walk the mile
to the nearest kopitiam and watch my fav team play!
cannot agree more with wat have been said so far, u knw wat, starhub shld even deduct their monthly sports subscription fees since they are delivering less content than last year!
I have lived peacefully the past few months WITHOUT football.
I can skip the EPL and the Champions’ League..
If there is a really interesting match, I can pop down to a pub where the atmosphere is worth the extra..
Nope – I am not going to sign up
Agree with you guys, ‘P’ay ‘A’nd ‘P’ay, that’s what Singaporean is facing, getting really sick. Would terminate all and save all
subscription $$$ in the bank instead.
I watch all different League soccer live on TV since I was 7..Now I’m 35. I intend to boycott it now… Now watching LIVe soccer is a luxury and only for the Rich people that can afford $500-$600 yearly! too bad I can’t. I’ll miss watching my idol Steven G live!
who we got and were to complain this issue? complain to goverment? OR to starhub and singtel whom they belongs to which departments? when will it stop football have become much more expensive game then golf!
I gave up watching live football last year as it was just ridiculous that we the fans were faced with the prospect to pay seperate fees to watch our teams in EPL, Champions League and FA Cup. Furthermore, I don’t see why it can be considered “exclusive” when matches are scheduled out of prime time television. People have better things to do then to watch a goaless draw at 2am in the morning.
at the end of the day, dont blame us (the fans), if some us do illegal taping, as there are out there among us Singaporeans who really2 cant afford to pay to watch LIVE matches. Those big companies should at least be considerate.
In the first place Starhub has it all, why must MIO tv comes in?
It’s crazy man! We are already paying so much. To the telcos,don’t push your luck. Your pot of gold might end up with a pot of sawdusts if this so called rivalries built up. Honestly, i just want to watch soccer in one channel under one roof.
We don’t need multi operators.We only need one operator to tend to our soccer needs.
someone said SBS SMART hiked price, Now starhub and singtel. SBS, SMART, SINGTEL and STARHUB all have something in common.
Guys, no point lamenting on the prices. Its a done deal.
I for one will not be paying more than what I already have.
Then watch on laptop the champions league etc. there are websites showing live games like p2p, justin tv and veetle.
Hope this helps
They have to commit all these daylight robbberies because they jolly well know that we are die-hard soccer fans of EPL and CL and that we will beg, steal or borrow to pay the crazy fees just to watch the matches ‘live’. So why not ride on and take advantage of our gullible undying passion, which will at the same time, bloat their bank accounts. Plus they look with green-eyes how Singapore Pools and bookies make millions from some punters, and they say to themselves, “Hey we want a piece of the pie as well. If they can bet so much on matches, don’t worry, those suckers will pay the fees to watch the matches”.
Hey guys, let’s boycott the Champions’ League! So that they will know THIS is not a very profitable business model! $26 a month to watch EPL alone (plus the basic package; we cant watch just sports without subscribing to the basic package can we?); this is one instance that competition simply means the customers suffer more and more.
I am another football fan who will not subscribe to Mio TV to watch the Champions’ League. Who else is with me??
Guys, couldn’t agree more. I just don’t understand the rationality of having two setup boxes just to watch two different leagues being played. Singapore is the only place I’ve known where competition between rival companies is by rising fees/prices. They should know very well football fans will always be loyal to their team/league and we will subscribe to football channel as long as it is reasonably priced. The reasons given out are really to be laughed at and is no more different than reasons given by the ex-US president.
Complain all we like, but in reality EPL have been a profit generating engine for the service providers.
And in all business, the model is the same, generating as much profit as it can during its cash cow period. The only factor that drives EPL into today Cash Cow is that top clubs are struggling to cope with overpriced players that like to perform a fancy step over with a size 5, and demanding fans are thrill watching them in the team colors performing the fancy step over with that size 5. The only way clubs to manage their balance sheet is to sell their rights, rights like jersey, branding, advertisement, and broadcasting, recently witnessed more clubs are even offering a complete take over. Even their local Die Hard fans are slap Up Down Left Right with an average of 12% increase in ticket price.
Boycotting offer little options for current subscribers whom most naively sold their soul to the devil for the 39” or that 4BG P4 without even noticing that the service providers have silently adopt the same principle as the GST credit payout, and then kick you where the sun dun shine once you ink that wobbly worms on the black and white with tons of tiny prints. Unless the subscription hike up another 5-10 folds only then people will start to feel the pinch down south, otherwise you and me will still conveniently lift that remote with the left and that Heineken with your right, occasionally you have to endure the frustration of defining offside rules with that remote and the empty beer cans.
Bare in mind those commercial establishments are paying higher subscription then residential estate. If you do your math, it will not be economical viable by patronizing those commercial establishments and cancelling your subscription. Ultimately service providers will have to make up the lost revenues by transferring to someone else and this deadly cycle will definitely reach you at the end of the line as with a long throw in. Service provider or commercial establishment, their business model is the same, that is to fly at you with that gongfu kick when ever there a chance.
So I have started been nicer to my neighbor who is a loser-fool fan, for who knows our service providers might come up with a buddy buddy plan and we two might even share a subscription one day.
A bleeding Man Utd Fan.
I am sad that seem that Singapore is the country that need to pay so much, probably we have a small market. In China, maybe you just need to pay a dollar and it will be enough to pay the TV right due to the huge population. If it happen to every where, then all the fans in the world should be able to boycott the EPL. We are the one that make Ronaldo so super rich by just playing football.
no way am i gonna pay to 2 service providers. i think we should not let our pockets suffer due to our desires. if not, the service providers will not put a stop to this. let’s unite, soccer fans..
it is all about bidding …if u have a company dont u want to make a lot of money…..this is not esstial to live but entertainment …if i have a company i will do the same
It’s a BIG CONSPIRACY, PPL!!!! WE HAD ENOUGH OF ALL THESE
Just stop watching footballs on tv. We can watch matches online free! Why pay so much for all the extra sound effect?
It used to be cheaper to watch at home rather than watching it ‘LIVE’ and having to buy a pint to watch it at a Pub. Beer is now cheaper – no more EPL subscription for me, much less CL… I’ll rather hang out with friends at a pub and concentrate on growing my beer belly while watching games. Cheers!
Fancy havin 02 set up box for watching EPL and Champ League !!
There is the prob with monopolised, like it or not it;s here to stay.
To think we are using westernized thinking !
Cheers
I have been a fan of good football for many years now.
I think the best way to tackle this is stay away from both cable networks. starhub has not reduced its price either (now, it’s not providing champions league).
Listen to match coverage on radio and updates on the news and net. If enough people do it I think some sense will prevail.
Basically, they just care for themselve and their pocket. Who cares bout us anyway? 2 box to watch 2 league? Really sounds stupid to me, somemore, we will need to top up if any special tornament comes along, like european cup, world cup.Hopefully all of us unite and boycott both singtel and starhub for their TV services, let them know our frustration and we will not stand it anymore.
I am paying just $16 AUD for all the sports channels (Both EPL and Champions League) from Foxtel in Australia on top of the basic package. Just reactivated it for the new season.. But I am coming back to singapore and I don’t like what I am seeing
Maybe I will stick with pay per view online or something for the bigger matches… better start looking.. Or season ticket highlights via liverpool.fc :\
Why is StarHub not taking any action in reducing the cost of sports channel subscription, now that Singtel is the broadcaster for the Champions League matches? As our existing StarHub package includes Champions League, is StarHub taking any action to reduce the price? Do customers have to request for a reduction? We speak of GEMS, so where is the service?
Its pay and pay in Singapore. Everything keeps increasing as and when they like. The reason used is simply due to the rising cost. They may claim that they have reduced here and there, but that is miniscule compared to the rise. I am just guessing that whoever it is may have simply taken the psychological framework of Singaporeans into consideration. Its simply a form of getting people to be addicted, and then raise the prices. Although we will complain initially, they know that we will still indulge in it due to our addiction, and that the matter will soon be forgotten, till the next price hike. If this maybe the case then let them not take advantage of our weakness. Let us all rise and “boycott”.
I have already decided to boycott. With people power, the telcos will have no choice but to stand up and take notice, that the very fans who support them have to be counted.
As for all matters instead of just saying we have to increase prices as a result of rising cost, its about time creativity and innovation is taken to the next level, in order to maintain customer loyalty, and to reduce the burden of the consumers. After all a company should not take the easy way out by simply increasing prices in order to show a healthy profit at the expense of consumers.
I don’t think our counterpart in Malaysia and Thailand have to pay this sort of exhorbitant fees to watch the same matches. Its because our industry is so open and all the greedy corporations jump in to get a huge slice of the pie.
I say we boycott!!
BOYCOTT!! im not paying more… If you use an illegal antenna and you can get Indonesian channel they will televise the game..coffeeshops..pubs..most will televise the game..you can also get to watch it online..a little lag but still you can watch it..so why should i pay more or even sign up for mio..how many cables co must i sign up to??!!..this have got to stop..
competition is supposed to bring the cost down but the opposite happens! what crap is this?! i am not subscribing to singtel mio tv for sure…
Y can’t SINGTEL & STARHUT joint venture for the EPL, La Liga,
Italian League, Champion League, World Cup etc
So all fans OR subscriber pay lesser.
Everyone HAPPY plus both side mayb hane MORE subscriber.