Friday, August 27, 2004
Mercy Mercy ESPN

So it's hit the forntpage news now,the dispute between ESPN Star Sports (ESS for short...sounds like @rse,doesn't it?) and Starhub and the payment of broadcast rights in Singapore. So for the past three months,the two good corporations could not agree on a price for the braodcast rights in Singapore.The good hosts of ESS (or ESS-hosts for short) decide they want SIX times the what they used to charge for showing us potboilers like Norwich vs. Crystal Palace(no disrespect to fans of these two teams here...if any).Starhub,of course,believes that they should not be held to ransom and must consider what prices consumers would be prepared to pay for their sports programme.So you undercharged for your sports group channels huh?Hahah,heng ah...we must be damn lucky to be underpaying for all those endless reruns of the same matches.(How mnay times can you show Man Utd vs. Norwich in a week...even allowing for the number of infantile Man Utd fans around).Sheesh...this is the first time I am revealing my anti-Man Utd setiments yeah?Revelations come the least you expect it.Trust me on this.

Apparently,the ESS-hosts say that "enough is enough" and we will not broadcast in the name of goodwill again until we get paid our dues.So the blackout starts this weekend and we don't care.Of course not,dudes.You are bleeding through your noses in this one.You paid £100 million for it,so how can you be shortchanged?No no no.That is just not right.So you would prefer either Starhub pay your price or you don't get paid AT ALL?After three months,I am sure you know what's Starhub's stand is,right?No chance.Now of course,Strahub could bring the costs down to the consumers and make them pay for it but 6 times?Hahah,I'd rather watch the S-League,you silly buggers.On a brighter,we now know how Steven Gerrard gets paid.We pay you,Mr Gerrard and all you Premiership "superstars",so nexct time if you ever come down to Singapore,at least afford us a smile and an autograph.That's especially talking to you lads,Man Utd ingrates.

Starhub,now,I don't whether to fault you guys or praise you guys.The negotiations went on for three long months and you guys didn't have the common sense to actually tell the subscribers who is happening?Great PR!Whoever is doing your corporate communications should get their severance pay immediately.Whoever taught you guys to treat customers this way?I have to backtrack though and applaud you guys refusing to be held to ransom by the ESS-hosts over their price increase.The reason why other countries are able to solve their issues so quickly must be because they have huge markets and hence is able to pass down small price increases to the customers who won't notice the increase(I think this is the theory but I might be wrong).or maybe they just have suprerior negotiating skills?Anyway,in Singapore,you can't.The market here is just not big enough.

So while the two corporate big-guns go hammers and tongs at each other,we,the fans who are the small fry in the pool,have to suffer in silence.We have to watch by the sidelines while they talk about price and we stare at blank screens...and watch reruns of past seasons.There is nothing much we can do about it,can we?Except by cancelling our subscriptions to the sports group channels (or maybe even the whole Starhub package)and jsut watch Spanish football on TV 5.Or like I mentioned earlier,the S-League.And we can of course always pen poison letters to the press,exhorting the commendable values of big business sports programming and their considerations to the ordinary consumer.Well-done,ESS and Starhub,hell of a job alienating fans all over Singapore.You'd be the top-most favourite brands of 2004,I assure you.