World Cup only $70.62? More like $124.12 on SingTel’s mio TV

singtel mio tv world cup package fine print

The SingTel FAQ. Always, always read the fine print. Do you know why it’s called the fine print? It’s because the font size is so small that after awhile, you are discouraged from reading further and will just throw up your hands and say, “Oh fine, forget it, where do I sign?”

The World Cup broadcast deal has been done and dusted, and it was agreed that both SingTel and StarHub will be offering similarly priced packages for existing cable television users who are interested to watch the World Cup. It will cost $70.62 on or before May 31st and $94.16 after that date (GST included).

So what about those football fans who are neither SingTel nor StarHub subscribers currently? It will cost more than those prices in order to get your hands on the World Cup package.

On the SingTel website, it states that “new customers who want to watch World Cup content for one month only can sign up for the an all-inclusive Starter Pack. New customers that subscribe to 2010 FIFA World Cup Package alone without any mio TV Content Pack are eligible for the ”Starter Pack” at $53.50 (with GST).”

So what is the World Cup Starter Pack all about? It is an “all-inclusive, no-hidden cost set up for customers who choose to take only the 2010 FIFA World Cup” and “allows viewers to enjoy mio TV during the broadcasting period without contract and other content commitment,” according to the SingTel website.

So if you are not an existing SingTel user, you will need to pay another additional $53.50 on top of the $70.62 when you get your World Cup package before May 31st. That adds up to a total of $124.12. The installation charge is waived in this case.

If you get it on or after 1st June, there is an installation fee of $58.85. That means, you will have three separate payments to make – $94.16 for the World Cup package, $53.50 for the Starter Pack and $58.85 for installation. That adds up to a massive total of $206.51 to watch the World Cup.

As for StarHub, their official website is poor because it does not state clearly what fees new subscribers will have to pay. We’ll do some checking and let you know in due course how much it will cost you if you are a new subscriber and would like to go with StarHub.

Edward Ying, SingTel’s chief of content and media services, was quoted in media reports as saying, “At $66 (before GST), subscribers will be paying about $1 a game to watch in the comfort of their homes. I think it is reasonable – less than (the price of) a cup of coffee to watch each live game.”

We think the best thing for readers to do is buy a cup of coffee for 80 cents at your favourite hawker centre and read the fine print. It might cost you a lot more cups of coffee than you realise after you add up all the miscellaneous fees.