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StarHub to show WTA finals for free

SINGAPORE — In a move to boost its role as champion of sport in Singapore, StarHub will broadcast for free the BNP Paribas Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) finals, which will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from Oct 20 to 26.

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova with a Road to Singapore sign to promote the WTA finals in Singapore, which will be held from Oct 20 to 26. 
Photo: Getty Images

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova with a Road to Singapore sign to promote the WTA finals in Singapore, which will be held from Oct 20 to 26.
Photo: Getty Images

SINGAPORE — In a move to boost its role as champion of sport in Singapore, StarHub will broadcast for free the BNP Paribas Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) finals, which will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from Oct 20 to 26.

The pay-television operator, who signed a five-year deal as official telecommunications partner of the WTA finals, added that the live feed SuperSports Arena will also be accessible on 76.25MHz to non-subscribers with access to cable points.

It made the announcement yesterday, when it was also unveiled as the founding and official telecommunications partner of Singapore Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL), operator of the country’s new $1.33 billion sports complex, for the next seven years.

The prestigious year-end tournament will feature the top eight women’s singles and doubles players in the 2014 WTA tour who will fight it out for a total of US$6.8 million (S$8.4 million) in prize money. Maria Sharapova heads the leaderboard of qualifiers, followed by Simona Halep, Li Na, Eugenie Bouchard, Petra Kvitova, Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska and Ana Ivanovic.

Premium sports content are usually prized for its ability to draw subscribers for pay-TV operators, but StarHub chief executive officer Tan Tong Hai said the WTA finals present an opportunity to promote its sports message. It will also allow the telco to roll out technology that will give patrons watching events at the Hub an expanded experience through their mobile phones and tablets.

Fans at football matches, for example, will be able to use these communication devices to watch replays of key moments instantly and can also upload them on social media.

“Our commercial interest comes in terms of positioning StarHub as the true home of sports and local sports,” said Tan. “Branding is important so that when it comes to sports you will find StarHub as a key stakeholder in local sports. That by itself has a lot of value.

“Secondly, it will be a showcase of our knowhow. I mentioned about watching an event at the stadium and we like to see how people can have a new way of enjoying sports.”

Tan said its sponsorship deals will give the telco the opportunity to host key business partners at its hospitality suit during the WTA finals and other major events at the Hub.

He added that direct cash benefit from the sponsorship deal of the WTA finals will come from advertisements generated from the increased viewership beyond their subscription base.

The free TV broadcast was announced while the box office was still open, but World Sport Group (WSG), promoter of the WTA finals, said it will not have an adverse effect on ticket sales.

With seven days of court action Adrian Staiti, WSG senior vice-president for global partnerships, is confident demand will be strong, especially for key matches.

“In this situation, I am not afraid of it hurting our ticket sales in any way. It is a week-long tournament and there are a number of tennis days and sessions. You can come and catch it live at the stadium and catch a few on television, but having StarHub as the promotional partner is absolutely fantastic,” said Staiti.

There are still three months to go before the tennis season-ender here and ticket sales, he insisted, have so far been brisk and they have also seen good demand from overseas.

Added the American: “I don’t see any downside to the live broadcast at all and am confident of a good showing at the box office.”

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