Singaporean firms seal deal on World Cup telecast

MediaCorp Channel 5 and HD5 to air four 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches ‘live’.

MediaCorp, SingTel and StarHub are pleased to announce that they have sealed an agreement to air "live" the four key matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ on MediaCorp’s free-to-air Channel 5 and HD5, according to a MediaCorp report.

Says Chang Long Jong, Deputy CEO, Television, MediaCorp, "We are very happy to have finally sealed this deal. The World Cup is a major event that has a legion of fans in Singapore and we have received many requests to air the matches. As Singapore's national broadcaster, MediaCorp’s overriding consideration was to bring the most significant matches free to all our viewers. We hope that our viewers will enjoy the matches with their friends and families, in the comfort of their own homes, and where possible, in full HD glory. With the recent telecast of the Olympic Games, Singapore Grand Prix and the upcoming inaugural Youth Olympics Games in August, MediaCorp is proud to offer our Singapore viewers the chance to catch international sporting events ‘LIVE’, and will continue to telecast landmark ‘LIVE’ sports programmes where possible."

"We are very pleased that this partnership with MediaCorp will enable Singaporeans to watch four of the most important World Cup matches over free-to-air," said Mr Edward Ying, Chief, Content & Media Services Group, SingTel. "It was very important to us that Singapore not miss out on the World Cup. We bid long and hard for the rights and are delighted to be given this opportunity to bring the games even closer to the fans."

Tan Tong Hai, COO, StarHub, said, "We are pleased to conclude the deal with MediaCorp to bring four key matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ ‘LIVE’ to all viewers in Singapore. This arrangement seeks to offer viewers more options to watch the World Cup. Watching football is an activity that bonds families and friends. We had worked hard to bring the tournament to Singapore and are hopeful that all the magic on the field will entertain and inspire football fans from all walks of life."

MediaCorp Channel 5 and HD5 will air the Opening match, 2 Semi-Final matches and Final match "live" with same/next-day encores.