By Les Tan/Red Sports
All LionsXII matches will be shown free to StarHub TV subscribers on SuperSports Arena, said Mr Tan Tong Hai, the chief operating officer of StarHub. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Thursday, January 5, 2012 — The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced StarHub as the principal sponsor of the Singapore LionsXII and the cable television operator will have its branding on the LionsXII jersey.
StarHub declined to comment on the dollar value of the four-year deal but the sponsorship involves a mix of both cash and production costs.
StarHub will broadcast all LionsXII matches free on SuperSports Arena (Channels 112 and 201) for existing StarHub TV and mobile subscribers. The matches will also be available on Internet TV (tv.starhub.com).
There will be a 15-minute pre-match show to accompany the screening of each match and StarHub will also package weekly highlights with footage from the Malaysian broadcaster, Astro.
“As a passionate home-grown supporter of local football, we want to cement our commitment to the cause with this broadcast and sponsorship deal,” said Mr Tan Tong Hai, the chief operating officer of StarHub.
“In the past 18 months, we have brought the Youth Olympic Games, the Lion City Cup and the S.League into the living rooms of households all over Singapore. With our LionsXII coverage bringing the fans as close to the action as possible, fans will be able to kick every ball and make every tackle with the team,” added Mr Tan.
Only a limited number of games are available on free-to-air television. MediaCorp Channel 5 will screen only one Malaysian Super League match per month for a total of seven. During the Malaysia Cup, assuming that the LionsXII make it all the way to the final, Ch 5 will show an additional four matches — the opening match, the two semi-finals, and the final. Non-StarHub subscribers will need to tune their television sets to receive the signal*.
StarHub will also work with the People’s Association (PA) to hold screenings at the PA Lawn opposite Jalan Besar Stadium. For the LionsXII’s opening match against Kelantan on January 10th, there will be live community screenings at the PA Lawn and two shopping malls — Nex and Lot One.
Said Mr Zainudin Nordin, the FAS president: “The FAS evaluation committee decided that StarHub’s proposal best met our objectives which include extending the reach of the matches to a wider heartland audience through public screenings, showcasing the matches on various platforms such as television, mobile and online, as well as an innovative promotional strategy. We look forward to partnering with StarHub in using football as a key platform to strengthen social and community bonding in Singapore.”
The FAS also unveiled the new home and away kit for the LionsXII at the same press conference.
*Not a StarHub TV subscriber? Do the following to receive ‘live’ LionsXII broadcasts:
1. Select an unused channel on your TV set.
2. Identify the MENU, PRESET or INSTALL button of your TV. If your TV doesn’t have any of these buttons, please refer to your TV manual.
3. Press the function. A menu page of control functions will appear on screen.
4. Scroll to MANUAL TUNE.
5. Manually tune to frequency VHF 76.25MHz
6. Select STORE to store the tuned frequency.
Press MENU or PRESET button to exit tuning.
StarHub was chosen as the official broadcaster and principal sponsor because the “FAS evaluation committee decided that StarHub’s proposal best met our objectives,” said Mr Zainudin Nordin, the president of FAS. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
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