Singapore optimistic football fans will be able to watch World Cup
Channel NewsAsia - Wednesday, April 14
SINGAPORE: The Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, is optimistic that football fans in Singapore will be able to watch the World Cup ’live’ on television.
He said it is mutually beneficial for FIFA and local content providers to ensure Singapore gets to broadcast the event held in South Africa.
Mr Lui was speaking to Singapore reporters in Cannes, France, where he is attending the television trade market MIPTV.
Channel NewsAsia understands that Singapore’s current price offer to FIFA is already the highest, as per head count. Therefore, Singapore is an important consumer market for FIFA.
Industry watchers said if FIFA is seen to turn its back on Singapore, then other countries may be concerned that the sporting body could make a deal difficult for them in the next World Cup.
Singapore telcos SingTel and StarHub have made a joint bid to broadcast the World Cup.
But they have yet to receive the go—ahead as negotiations stalled after FIFA rejected the price offer.
FIFA had quoted a price to both telcos last year that was a few times more than what StarHub had paid for the 2006 World Cup.
Singapore is among a few countries in the world yet to secure television broadcast rights to the event, which takes place in June.
