Thursday, 14th February 2008

INFO BOX

HD Gives Digital Pay TV a Boost

The Direct-to-Home (DTH) pay-TV market is expected to continue growing at about 7.6 per cent annually in subscribers from 2006 to 2011, and new services such as HD TV will help increase revenue. Rapid growth in the subscriber base will occur in certain less mature markets like Africa and India, where new DTH providers have or will begin service, reports In-Stat.

"In more mature markets, growth rates, while slower, remain positive, being spurred forward by bundled and premium services such as HD," says Michael Inouye, In-Stat analyst. "HD is rapidly becoming a key differentiator in the US, and some Western European countries like the UK have exhibited strong growth potential for high definition, e.g., 273 per cent growth in HD subscribers from Q306 to Q307 for BSkyB in the UK."

Research by In-Stat suggests: there will be 129 million DTH pay-TV subscribers worldwide by 2011 and revenues will eclipse $96 billion. ATV, 14th Feb 2008


SPORTS SHORTS

* Malaysia's Sepang Formula One circuit said it will be ready to host a night race from next year. According to local media reports Mokhzani Mahathir, chairman of Sepang International Circuit, said the circuit was in talks over staging a night race. "We are studying and looking for the best system as there is no one single lighting technology that can fit all tracks. The system must be custom-made for the Sepang circuit," Mokhzani said. Singapore will host the first ever Formula One night grand prix in September 2008 on a street circuit. Bernie Ecclestone is encouraging Asian circuits to introduce night racing to cater for the key European prime time TV viewing timeslots. Sportsbusiness, Sportcal, 13th Feb 2008

* China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile phone operator, is to lend its support to LTE, the wireless broadband standard that looks set to become the flagship 4G technology. LTE, or Long Term Evolution, is gaining strong momentum as the next generation wireless technology to provide super-fast web surfing on mobiles. Arun Sarin, Vodafone’s chief executive, said it would join China Mobile and Verizon Wireless, the second-largest US mobile operator, to promote LTE. It suggests LTE will emerge as the leading 4G technology, rather than WiMax or Ultra Mobile Broadband, which are the main alternatives. Sarin said WiMax should be harmonised with LTE, adding that Vodafone is planning to roll out 4G networks from 2010. ATV, 14th Feb 2008

* The Tokyo 2016 bid joined the Japan Cycling Federation in sponsoring the Gaien Cycling Criterium race, hosted by the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation. Held for the first time in 2007, this criterium race was the first of its kind to take place in the very centre of Tokyo and fell within an area designated in TOKYO 2016’s plan for the Olympics as the“Yoyogi cluster,” the area home to the iconic 1964 Olympic stadium and other venues. Sportsbusiness, 13th Feb 2008

* DLF, the Indian real estate developer, has today clinched the title sponsorship rights to the Indian Premier League, the lucrative new Twenty20 competition, for the next five years in a deal worth Rs2 billion ($50 million). The company won the rights ahead of World Sport Group, the Singapore-based sports agency which was representing Indian motorcycle manufacturer Hero Honda. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which is organising the IPL, has already secured $1 billion from WSG for the television rights to the competition for ten years and $724 million from the award of licences to run the eight teams over that period. WSG has sublicensed television rights for five years to Indian broadcaster Sony Entertainment Television. Sportcal.com, 14th Feb 2008

* Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed Bin Hammam has urged member countries to boycott any proposed English Premier League matches staged in Asia. In response to the Premier League’s plan to play an 'international round' of fixtures in January 2011, Bin Hammam said: "It is my belief that it is not a good idea to organise domestic leagues in other territories other than their own. If this principle is accepted, then the FA Premier League must accept reciprocal arrangements within their own territory. My recommendation to the AFC Executive Committee would be to reject any initiatives of this nature." Hammam said Asians should focus on building their domestic leagues rather than hosting overseas teams in non-exhibition matches. Sportsbusiness, 13th Feb 2008

* The battle for mobile television is already heating up this year, with Australia's Telstra's BigPond preparing to launch the first weekend sports show produced solely for mobile TV. BigPond Sports Weekend will be launched on February 23 and will provide customers with 18 hours of locally produced sports coverage on Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, 3 Mobile has wrapped up its mobile cricket TV coverage over the summer, and although it couldn't supply viewer figures, general manager of products and services Mira Bashi said the service had been very popular. AustralianIT, 14th Feb 2008

MORE NEWS

Premier League/ General: Premier League Clubs Concerned over Low Chinese TV Figures

Some of the top clubs in English soccer’s top-tier Premier League are reported to have expressed concern over low subscription figures for WinTV, the pay-television broadcaster owned by Guangdong TV that holds the league’s rights in China. Coverage of many Premier League games attract as few as 10,000 viewers in a country of 1.3 billion people, according to the UK’s Independent newspaper, which claimed that at least two of the ‘big four’ clubs – Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool – had expressed their concerns.

WinTV is reported to have set a target of 1.2 million subscribers, but to have recruited just 20,000 in reality, with high prices and technical problems being blamed. The issue has arisen just as the league is contemplating a controversial extra round of matches to be played in overseas cities, as part of a plan to raise its exposure to foreign audiences. WinTV acquired the rights in China for the 2007-08 to 2009-10 seasons for a fee reported to be in the region of $50 million over the three years.

The Premier League played down the issue, telling the Independent: ‘Overall, our clubs back the overseas deals.’ Regarding the Chinese deal, it added: ‘Different clubs raise different concerns all the time. If the market grows, concerns will be alleviated. We’re only six months into a three-year contract.’

However, the league also conceded: ‘Maybe the pay-TV market in China is not as developed as we thought, in which case next time we have the flexibility to change. It could be that next time in China we will go for a mass viewing model. Clearly if [WinTV] are not making the rights work for them, they might not even be bidding next time.’ The rights were previously held by ESPN Star Sports, the pan-Asian sports broadcaster, and by state broadcaster CCTV which often attracted audiences of 10 million and more. Sportcal.com, 13th Feb 2008