It’s less than a month to the World Cup’s kick-off, and we finally bring good news.
On Sunday, Singtel, StarHub and Mediacorp announced a three-way partnership to beam all 64 World Cup matches.
Early bird price of just $98
After more than a year of a drawn-out negotiation process, it’s finally confirmed that the World Cup matches will be beamed by our broadcasters.
Singtel and StarHub customers can subscribe to a World Cup package for an early bird price of $98.
Better get it quick – the subscription will be $118 after the promotion period ends on 6 Nov.
This price is a slight hike from the $94 early bird price, or $112 for those who missed the promotion, that fans paid to watch the tournament four years ago.
StarHub consumer business group chief Johan Buse said: “Football is a universal language, and nothing shows this better than the World Cup which turns spectators into the most passionate fans.”
He’s not wrong – still remember the pre-COVID times when fans would gather at community centres and the McDonald’s around the area to watch football?
“We are excited to take to the field once again with Singtel and Mediacorp, bringing the action-packed game directly to our customers, to keep them fully immersed at the heart of live football.”
Promotions for existing customers
If you’re already subscribed to Singtel or StarHub, you can expect even better deals for the World Cup packages and bundles!
StarHub is offering its existing subscribers a World Cup bundle at $52.40 a month on a two-year subscription. This means that not only can you watch the World Cup, you can access a slate of other entertainment offerings like Disney+ as well.
Existing HomeHub+ customers who subscribe to the package can top up just an additional $45.11 monthly to enjoy 1Gbps fibre broadband, Netflix and a TV+ Pro box.
All of StarHub’s World Cup offerings will be available on its TV+ app. This means that you’ll be able to watch highlights, see live statistics and an interactive timeline to relive key match moments.
If you’re subscribed to Singtel, you’re not missing out either.
Singtel is offering the World Cup as a “value-added bonus” for those who recontract for a two-year Singtel TV plan at $52.90 a month and above. This allows you to watch matches of the Singtel TV GO app as well!
Singtel customers who subscribe only to its $98 package can watch the matches on their mobile devices as well as on the CAST app.
Afraid that the streaming quality won’t be good? Singtel’s got you covered. The telco added that its mobile offerings will be enhanced by “network slicing technology” which allows dedicated capacity for video streams via its 5G network.
For those of us who aren’t subscribing to the World Cup packages, fret not.
Similar to four years ago, Mediacorp will air nine games on free-to-air TV – the opener, give group matches, both semi-finals and the final.
Fans also have an option to purchase a similar $98 package enabling them to watch all the matches on Mediacorp’s meWATCH app.
Rising prices of World Cup subscription packages
While the increase in prices of the subscription packages since the previous World Cup seem slight, the latest rise marks a general upward trend of costs for viewers.
Over the last two decades, subscription prices have been increasing.
The sharpest spike came in 2010, where the prices of World Cup packages quadrupled from 2006 prices.
In 2014, there was another hike of about 30 per cent.
Fifa’s revenue from selling global rights to the World Cup has nearly doubled in the last two decades. In 2018, Fifa collected slightly over US$3 billion.
Perhaps the money isn’t in medicine, law or computer science – it’s in football.
Singtel’s chief executive officer (consumer Singapore) Anna Yip believed that with this year’s World Cup in Qatar, “the favourable time difference will bring even more football fans together to share in the excitement”.
Out of the 64 matches scheduled, more than a third will be played at 3am (Singapore time), which includes both semi-finals.
Seven matches are scheduled at 6pm, eight matches at 9pm, 16 matches at 11pm and nine matches at midnight.
The 18 Dec final kicks off at 11pm.
Featured Image: Rehan Rasheed / Shutterstock.com