'EPL for Bt350': What viewers will gain if Grammy wins bid

Can you tell us about Grammy’s progress in the EPL bidding?

We will invest and we will acquire the EPL rights. We will try to introduce ourselves to the world [by winning the rights]. We may be new and younger [compared to our rivals] but we will try. I’ve succeeded in the bidding for two World Cups [for RS] and two Euro championships [for RS and GMM Grammy]. Nothing is too difficult. And now I have a solid firm with good finance to back and help me. So I think we have a chance to win. The officially bids will be submitted in April and the result will be announced in June.

 

Is it possible that Grammy and the current rights holder, TrueVisions, will put in a joint bid, as GMM chairman Paiboon Damrongchaitham proposed earlier?

Grammy and True are trying to seek a solution over whether we really want to fight each other. People may want us to be rivals but in fact Paiboon and Supachai [Chearavanont, True CEO] are close. But the two companies have quite different directions. 

Our 1 Sky [Grammy’s set-top box] concept is that everyone gets a chance to watch. It’s a low-cost platform. Our model and our strategy, I think, is good for everyone. I told Paiboon that we have to cling to the mass model and not take advantage of the people. That is our commitment and we can’t change our promise.

 

Do you expect Grammy to win the rights?

I think we can. And I’m confident we will pay less than what others have paid. We won’t pay high. Free TV just paid Bt200 million for the FA Cup rights [for three seasons] while Grammy paid 10 times less for the Carling Cup rights. It’s crazy.

 

How much for the subscription fee if Grammy wins the EPL rights?

At present, the subscription fee for the 1 Sky top box is around Bt300-Bt350. It’s a reasonable price. We don’t want to take advantage of the consumer. Our idea is to try and create an opportunity for those who have a slim chance to watch. If you like us, you feel like paying us. It is about demand and supply. If viewers feel okay with the fees, they will watch us. Currently, we think Bt300 is reasonable. So, with or without the EPL, the fees won’t be higher than this.

 

Is Bt300 per month per box worth the investment?

Why not? If we sell a box at Bt3,600 for a three-year package, or Bt100 monthly [for non-football viewers], we will easily get 1 million subscribers and we will then earn Bt3.6 billion. It’s no fluke. Who said Thailand has only 10 million household viewers? Nowadays, almost every household has more than one TV and one set-top box. If we provide good content or a good story we think we can sell up to 10-15 million boxes. I think only GMM has the potential to do it. 

 

It appears as if viewers are backing Grammy to win the rights? 

Really? Is it because of the Bt300 monthly fees? 

 

What is Grammy’s advantage in the bidding process?

We have six sports and seven entertainment channels. Our USP is that we have a production house plus many creative producers. This is what the rights owners appreciate. 

 

So, you think Grammy can beat its rivals and clinch the broadcast rights?

We are in a class of our own. We have set a different standard. True is not the only rival. Free TV, RS, and Cable Thai Holding, or CTH, are all there to bid. And don’t underestimate foreign firms such as ESPN. But no opponent has the same potential as ours, is my humble opinion.