'We will win EPL bidding war'

Q : Have you bid for the English Premier League (EPL) broadcasting rights for the next three seasons (2013-2015)?

A : Right now, there is no tender from [rights’ owners] the Premier League yet. They will complete the bidding in the UK first then other continents will follow. The bidding here could be at the end of this year or early next year.

 

Q : What is the hardest part of pitching your bid?

A : To guess the right figure. You have to know how much you should offer to win and who your rivals are. The Premier League will never tell you how many firms are interested in bidding. So, not only are local firms such as TrueVisions or GMM Grammy interested, foreign broadcasters such as Sportfive and ESPN could also be involved. Or perhaps you could be the sole bidder, which means you bid against yourself. So it is not easy. 

 

Q : Having been the only rights holder for decades, do you think TrueVisions is at an advantage? What factors do you need in order to win?

A : The Premier League will consider two factors: eyeballs [viewer numbers] and financial background. The number of matches and channels to broadcast are also important. We can air six matches per night and all 380 matches throughout a season. The more matches broadcast, the more famous the league will become. So, they are happy with us.

 

Q : How confident are you of winning? 

A : I think we will secure the rights because we know the real or exact figure of the bid. But I can’t reveal it. It’s confidential. 

The new bidders don’t know how much they should offer. They have to think hard and carefully. One of the most special features of the EPL is that the rights fee is expensive. So it could be bad luck in disguise for the rights winner. They also need to know how to manage the rights or they may get lost.

In contrast, TrueVisions already has a subscription base. We have one million paid subscribers. We don’t have to start to acquire subscribers from zero like our rivals. 

 

Q : Do you have a plan B if you fail?

A : Absolutely, every firm will have a plan to satisfy or compensate their subscribers. As for us, if we fail we still have Champions League rights for three seasons [2012-2014]. However, we may share some Champions League matches with free TV. But for now we think we will win the EPL bidding.

 

Q : If TrueVisions does secure the EPL rights, will subscription fees be increased?

A : No… only if the rights fee is very high. I don’t think we should push the burden onto consumers. 

Our strategy is to try and keep good assets and abandon unpopular content. We would rather save money to buy more important things. For example, we opted to buy Champions League rights instead of rights to the Bundesliga or La Liga. Nowadays, football fans prefer to watch teams from German and Spanish Leagues only when they play in the Champions League. 

Q : Will some matches be aired on free TV if you win the EPL rights?

A : Yes, we plan to share with terrestrial TV.

 

Q : It seems that TrueVisions positions itself as an exclusive and premium brand. Do you think you will change strategy to compete with the mass-consumer appeal of your present rivals? 

A : Actually we can. We have recently launched a “Road to Champion” campaign. True Knowledge subscribers at Bt300 per month will be able to watch the last seven Manchester United matches of this season plus half of all matches next season including “big four” matches. We are now evaluating the response. And we might continue the package next season. 

 

Q : What do you see for the future of broadcasting rights in Thailand? Will there be high competition or a monopoly?

A : Competition in any business is normal. Sport content is attractive but most sport-content providers and suppliers agree that the bidding fees can kill or destroy the business itself. If the fee is too expensive and the company can’t break even, they won’t bid again. 

However, the sport broadcasting business will continue to grow, but deep pockets as well as viewers’ willingness to pay for the expensive subscription fees are most important.