Tan Kin Lian's Blog: FIFA World Cup

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

FIFA World Cup

Many people are still angry at the high price of $90 to watch the FIFA World Cup on cable television. They compared it to the price 4 years ago, which was just a fraction of this price.

It is sad to see that the cost of this item has increased many fold, due to the wrong kind of competition, i.e. competing for the rights to broadcast the matches, rather than to bring down the price for consumers.

The lesson has now been learnt, and changes have been made for the future, i.e. to require content owners to broadcast on several platforms.

Back to the World Cup. If the price of $90 is divided by the number of matches, the cost per match is relatively low and can be shared by several members of the family. Even friends can be invited. Compare this with the cost of watching one match at stadium, which must be more than $100.

It will be a good idea for several neighbours to share the price of $90 and to arrange to watch the games together. It will foster the spirit of neighbourliness.

Tan Kin Lian

11 comments:

Tan Kin Lian said...: Here is a suggestion to earn some money to cover the cost of $90.

Print a $3 coupon to watch a match. Sell the coupon to your neighbours. Indicate that matches that will be shown at your home and invite them to watch the shows (with the coupons).

If you can get two neighbours to commit to buy 10 tickets each, the cost of #90 is shared equally by three families.

If you prefer a more neighbourly arrangement, it is also okay. But it is good to make some arrangement, so that other people can do their plans as well.; June 08, 2010 8:40 AM
Anonymous said...: What is $90 as it is once in 4 years? Also, for those who are betting, what is $90 compared to the possible windfal? In the good old days, neighbours were close to each other. Now living in a hdb flat, we dont even know the names of our neighbours living next door, needless to talk about inviting them to our home to watch the game together.
Watch from TV 1 (Malaysia) and is FOC (please confirm); June 08, 2010 8:50 AM
Anonymous said...: I think paying $90 is not a problem as things around can easily touch $90 anytime.

The unhappiness is why are we paying while other countries are giving it free? We are paying more expensive than Japan who is the richest nation in Asia and the world's second largest economy.

The recent Hong Lim Park gathering has made it's point. As individual, we should decide whether to participate as Telcos and even govt agencies should not take us for granted i.e. taking advantage of our high tolerance threshold.

As for me, I support the HLP position. I too give Starhub & Singtel the RED CARD. I just watch over the internet, Mcdonald or downstairs coffee shop. No big deal and good bonding session.

More such gatherings should be held to educate the big companies esp GLC how to behave and work on the interest of their customers.

I guess TKL MB gathering break the perception that Speakers' Corners are for losers.....; June 08, 2010 10:52 AM
Anonymous said...: Mr Tan, it is not the cost, it is how this was handled by the authorities and the Telcos, as just pass it on to the consumer.

I have watched every world cup from the 70's as a "protest", I am not subcribing to this world cup package... even if I am the lone protester I will not be subcribing.; June 08, 2010 11:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Aiyo, if you feel is too high, don't subscribe lor. Anyway, they just need 300,000 household, and they can break even easily, not forgetting they still got revenue from sponsorship ads. You don't subscribe is not going to be their lost, the pricing will become a norm, and subscriber base will definitely increase next round.; June 08, 2010 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...: Yes. It is not the cost. I think most of us can afford $90. It is a matter of principle.

FYI, I have stopped subscribing to the EPL and WC many years ago. To my great surprise, I did not die! In fact, I have more time for my family. And those precious moments spent with my family cannot be bought by money.; June 08, 2010 2:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Singaporean should unite. Gving in will only give those Telco another reason to raise the fee the next time round. Why?

Singaporean are rich and no backbone. Complaints alot but in the end still subscribe. If Telco adopt the arrogant attitude like the govt i.e. ignore the interest of the common people [Minibond Saga, landbanking saga etc] then we should stand our ground and say "Enough is Enough, I give you the Red Card. You can go now."; June 08, 2010 5:26 PM
J said...: France got in by a handball anyway. I decided not to bother with the world cup.

If you want to watch quality football, I think the Champions League is a better place for that.; June 08, 2010 5:45 PM
Parka said...: It's not so much about competition but about the immense bargaining power of FIFA, given how popular World Cup is.; June 08, 2010 6:51 PM
Vincent Sear said...: To: Parka

It's nothing to do with FIFA bargaining power. It's to do with their amusement at two cash-loaded Telcos from a single litte country trying to outbid each other.

Most broadcasters just go to FIFA (or technically, FIFA regional agents) and ask 16-match package how much? 32-match package how much? All 64-match package how much? FIFA agent would quote the prices for the regions and countries concerned. Then the broadcasters decide which package to take according to budget and advertising revenue projection.

That's how so many countries got free-to-air broadcasts, sometimes even double channel broadcasts.

StarHub and SingTel want exclusivity for Singapore. That is, if FIFA sells to StarHub, they can't sell to SingTel, and vice versa. If one wants exclusivity, of course you have to pay extra. The other side would counter-offer extra, and the bids spiralled up.

In the end, both StarHub and SingTel settled for non-exclusivity. However, the last highest bid is taken as the price they could afford and FIFA will charge that. And course, the costs are passed on to viewers.; June 09, 2010 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...: why never tio fine for exclusive EPL deal. Why lei?; June 09, 2010 11:47 PM