MDA orders SingTel to cross-carry English Premier League matches

SINGAPORE - The Media Development Authority (MDA) has directed SingNet Pte Ltd (SingNet) to cross-carry the Barclays Premier League “live” matches over the next three seasons, starting from the 2013-14 season.

Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) had announced back in Oct 2012 that it had acquired non-exclusive broadcast rights to all BPL “live” games for the next three seasons from Aug 2013 from the Football Association Premier League Limited (FAPL) for Mio TV, its subscription TV platform.

However, after studying the agreement between SingTel and FAPL, the MDA found that it contained certain clauses that can prevent or restrict the same content from being acquired for transmission by other pay-TV retailers in Singapore.

The MDA said that it would not be disclosing further details of these restrictions.

What is clear, however, is that the restrictions trigger the Cross-Carriage Measure.

According to this measure, which kicked in on Aug 1 2011, pay-TV retailers who have acquired any exclusive content on or after March 12, 2010, must widen the distribution of such content by offering it to subscribers of other pay-TV retailers.

As such, SingNet must now begin the process of enabling the cross-carriage of the BPL programme on rival pay-TV retailer StarHub’s platform.

When contacted, StarHub welcomed the latest development.

Said Jeannie Ong, its Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations in a statement: “We welcome the decision of the Media Development Authority (MDA) to make the Barclays Premier League (BPL) subject to the cross-carriage measure.

“Singapore viewers are the biggest beneficiaries of this decision and we are excited to be able to bring the BPL to our customers on our reliable network once again.”

The telco, which announced last month that it was finally able to open negotiations with the FAPL, five months after SingTel’s announcement in Oct 2012, added that “in light of MDA’s decision, there is no longer a necessity for us to acquire the broadcast rights directly from FAPL.”

SingTel, however, expressed its disappointment at the decision, and said that it would be making an appeal.

Said Allen Lew, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Telecommunications for its ‘Digital L!fe’ division in a statement: “We are gravely disappointed with MDA’s decision requiring SingNet to cross carry BPL content as it disadvantages both the consumers and the industry.

“We fully intend to appeal this decision and seek legal recourse if necessary. We assure football fans that we will fight hard so they can continue to enjoy the content that they love at reasonable prices.”

He warned too that football fans who want to watch the BPL on its own, without subscribing to Mio TV, will probably have to pay “significantly higher fees”.

“We will ensure that existing SingTel customers who are on contracts will not be affected,” he said.

“However, those who wish to watch BPL on its own will most likely have to pay significantly higher monthly fees.

“This is because it will become untenable for SingTel to subsidise the cost of BPL for such customers.”