Tiansheng wins EPL rights, but loses fans
By Roy Wang (chinadaily.com.cn)Updated: 2007-05-16 17:30 China's 30 million English Premier League (EPL) fans will now have to pay 188 yuan (US$24) per month or 1,880 yuan a year to watch matches starting from August this year, China.com reported Tuesday.
Tiansheng TV or WinTV run by state-owned Guangdong Provincial Television won the broadcast rights over six other bidders with an offer of US$50 million for three seasons.
"The fans will have to endure the pain of the change. Let's say goodbye to free Premier League. No more free lunch in the future," said Tiansheng TV president Song Zheng. "Fans can enjoy the games in various convenient ways, and right now - they have to pay."
Win TV only has 40,000 subscribers at the moment, but thinks with its new broadcast rights, Win TV is confident it can win over a legion of English football fans. It also will provide coverage on cell phones, online along with live TV.
But this latest development has enraged English footie fans in China who have launched nationwide "Pay Boycott" over the Internet against Tiansheng.
"188 yuan per month for one channel is too expensive for ordinary Chinese fans who just earn 2,000-3,000 yuan (US$260-US$390) per month," a fan ranted on a posting called "Farewell English soccer, Reject Tiansheng" on a website forum yesterday.
"I remember British fans only paid 18 [English] pounds for 56 pay channels and 47 pounds for 207 channels when I was in London in 2000," the fan added.
However, there were rumors of price differences on the Internet which sparked discussion. Another fan on a website said that Tiansheng TV had set the price of 688 yuan for a full season or 368 yuan for half season, reduced by more than half of the planned 1,692 yuan for full season, which would be a good news for fans if it was true.
But Miss Huang with the Business Development Department of Tiansheng TV Company denied the fan's disclosure, saying she did not know much about the pricing system, and that the final price would be released a few days later.
"We will definitely not subcontract the broadcasting rights to other domestic local TV stations because we offered US$50 million for it," she said. We look forward to having more fans subscribe tothe channel."
Tiansheng also denied a report saying it will invite former CCTV commentator Huang Jianxiang to host the EPL games.
"Huang has signed a contract with Phoenix TV in Hong Kong, so that's impossible unless Huang breaks his promise," Miss Huang clarified.
"We will host a press conference before mid-June to tell the fans what they
want to know," Huang added.
 Song Zheng, CEO of Tiansheng TV, speaks during a press conference hosted by Tiansheng Eurosoccer Channel in Beijing February 12, 2007. Tiansheng won the broadcast rights over six other bidders by an offer of US$50 million for three seasons of the English Premier League.[photo: sina] |
"Our negotiation with Tiansheng is under way, and anything is possible. We are trying our best," said a person responsible for BTV-6 or Beijing TV Station Sports Channel last night. "We are not sure BTV will relay it from the beginning of next season, but Beijing soccer fans could watch the games after two or three rounds."
To go around paying for the subscription, some fans recommended a website called myp2p.eu which will webcast all the English Premier League games for free.
Before the end of last season, China's 30 million Premiership addicts could watch games live on ESPN-Star, a joint venture between Walt Disney Co. and News Corp., via a local cable TV broadcasting service, at a much lower monthly cost.
Tiansheng TV beat out CCTV and ESPN to win the rights. The company will also broadcast a range of European soccer matches, including the Premiership, Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga. The network also covers league matches in Japan and South Korea.
"We will broadcast all the games of the Chinese overseas players; we have won the rights of 18 events worldwide," said Song .
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