Espn / Star Sports Scrapped From Next Month.

[Jimjim]

Australian Open, at least, was usually on one of the Supersport channels I believe, not ESPN.

[DenThai]

DenThai, in the original article about True taking over the Prem rights, it said that match commentary in English would be available straight from England, not some commentators in a studio in Thailand. Perhaps they wanted commentators for a pregame, halftime, and postgame studio show in English for those that don't want to watch the Thai language show of the same. Or, perhaps it's for English translation of what the Thai commentator's are saying in said shows, not the match commentary, though.

On the True website it is advertising for 3 Thai commentators. Doesn't say where they will be based but my interpreter says it implies they will working from Bangkok. No mention of wanting English language commentator so I may have misread an advert in English for Thai commentator.

However, the original article says English language soundtrack (eh? music to emphasise the flow of play?) will be available direct from the Premiership (sic) League commentators, but not through third parties. This implies using their own commentator unless the Premier League directly employs commentators. Don't think they do - if I am wrong I hope someone will correct me. It doesn't say the commentator will actually be at the match. So I continue to worry. Sky sports or BBC commentary would be my choice.

Edited June 30, 2007 by DenThai

[Jimjim]

Here's how it will work, DenThai. Viewers wanting to watch the match with Thai commentary will be listening to Thai commentators who will indeed be watching the match from a studio in Thailand. As they need Thai commentators for all the matches they probably are advertising because they need a lot of announcers. Of course they don't have the budget to send them over to watch and commentate live.

As for the English soundtrack, it's not talking about music. Don't be silly. It is talking about the actual feed coming from England. This feed can include the audio soundtrack of the English commentators along with ambient noise. But they can turn off the English commentators and add their own Thai commentary.

In short, yes, you will be able to listen to the Sky Sports or BBC commentators from the feed in England, depending on which of those channels is broadcasting the game in England.

The third parties comment, I believe, would mean they aren't going to have English language commentators based here, but direct from England as I described. I'm quite sure this would mean the Sky Sports and BBC commentators, as that was what always happened when watching the matches on ESPN and Star Sports.

[rixalex]

Australian Open, at least, was usually on one of the Supersport channels I believe, not ESPN.

Don't agree. Unless memory is failing me, i'm sure that the Australian Open is shown on Star Sports.

[DenThai]

Here's how it will work, DenThai. Viewers wanting to watch the match with Thai commentary will be listening to Thai commentators who will indeed be watching the match from a studio in Thailand. As they need Thai commentators for all the matches they probably are advertising because they need a lot of announcers. Of course they don't have the budget to send them over to watch and commentate live.

As for the English soundtrack, it's not talking about music. Don't be silly. It is talking about the actual feed coming from England. This feed can include the audio soundtrack of the English commentators along with ambient noise. But they can turn off the English commentators and add their own Thai commentary.

In short, yes, you will be able to listen to the Sky Sports or BBC commentators from the feed in England, depending on which of those channels is broadcasting the game in England.

The third parties comment, I believe, would mean they aren't going to have English language commentators based here, but direct from England as I described. I'm quite sure this would mean the Sky Sports and BBC commentators, as that was what always happened when watching the matches on ESPN and Star Sports.

So sorry for being silly. BUt I don't think all members are humourless.

Let me requote the quote: the original article says English language soundtrack (silliness deleted) will be available direct from the Premiership (sic) League commentators, but not through third parties.

However I may well be wrong. I did a google and read something about Premier League TV and they having their own commentators and sometimes they use Sky/BBC commentaries (sorry, soundtrack). But I cannot find a website or anything on the EPL website. I'm not so downhearted now.

[konangrit]

Well, it's gone midnight and ESPN & STAR are still on air.

[nidge]

I've already got a dish fixed on the Pas 8 satellite for Australia Network .....and a UBC dish which I'm seriously thinking about using as a wok.

Don't do it. The oil spills through the screw holes and the paint peels making phad thai taste minging.

[Jimjim]

So sorry for being silly. BUt I don't think all members are humourless.

Let me requote the quote: the original article says English language soundtrack (silliness deleted) will be available direct from the Premiership (sic) League commentators, but not through third parties.

However I may well be wrong. I did a google and read something about Premier League TV and they having their own commentators and sometimes they use Sky/BBC commentaries (sorry, soundtrack). But I cannot find a website or anything on the EPL website. I'm not so downhearted now.

Silliness aside, I was just joking along with you.

Ya I know already, you don't have to put it in bold.

Yep, so you'll get commentators from England. Sky Sports and BBC have the rights to Premiership in England so I assume they could be considered Premier League commentators. I wasn't aware they would use any others accept for the different commentators commenting for club tv like Arsenal TV, Liverpool TV, etc.

Oh, wait, I think I have the explanation. It just came to me. In England, not every match is broadcast on either Sky Sports or BBC. So, for those matches that aren't on TV there, they probably include commentary from "Premier League" commentators and I bet viewers could pay to watch those matches streaming online. So, the matches coming to Thailand in that category will be with official Premier League commentators. For the matches being shown on Sky/BBC, those commentators will probably be considered the official commentators.

[bdenner]

Midnight been and gone and they are still there. No channel resuffle as was advertised for the 28th.

Maybe JUST maybe UBC True have bowed to the pressure of forums such as this.

[thaihome]

...Maybe JUST maybe UBC True have bowed to the pressure of forums such as this.

That has got to be one funniest things ever posted.

Just watched the replay of F1 qualifying and the live coverage of Hollyfield fight on PPV for free (I have Platinum package). So far, it would seem that just about everything on this thread has been inaccurate.

If you think about it, if True is negotiating with ESPN/Star not putting the schedule in the July magazine is a brilliant piece of strategy. Or, if indeed ESPN/Star did not send the schedule, that is pretty good as well.

Don’t forget, these are businesses; they are not public service companies.

TH

[Ned]

I hope the last couple of posts are right and it'll be business as usual for espnstar. As that popular song heard in every bar in Bangkok in 1975 went : "La la la la la la live for today. Ooh. Don't worry 'bout tomorrow."

[pattayaGaz]

Has everyone forgotten that we allready have an idea of what to expect from UBC when it comes to the UK commentary, several times in the last couple of seasons they provided extra Premiership games at the last minute using their other Sports channels, they are usually Chelsea,ManUtd,Liverpool, Arsenal games that they did not schedule origonally, several times the UK commentry didn't come on until twenty minutes into the match probably the time it took for the phones to start ringing and the complaints to register with the programme controller, also sometimes we had to sit through the UK commentator talking with no background crowd noise added, which allways sounds strange, I don't reccall that the commentry was via the Sky team either, it was usually that boring geezer who rambles on about every bit of trivia he knows about the players or the team on the pitch, he was the same one who was commentating for the World Cup games last year that Sophon Cable here in Pattaya pinched the coverage from.

[Mobi]

Well I met a proverbial guy in the proverbial bar who told me that he read in the 'paper' that UBC had announced an extension of the ESPN/Star contract for one month to the end of July while they continue to negotiate a new contract.

Has anyone else had wind of this, is or was it - as I strongly suspect - Chang talking?

[Old Man River]

Well I met a proverbial guy in the proverbial bar who told me that he read in the 'paper' that UBC had announced an extension of the ESPN/Star contract for one month to the end of July while they continue to negotiate a new contract.

Has anyone else had wind of this, is or was it - as I strongly suspect - Chang talking?

Colino has reported on a different thread that Saturday's BP reported that ESPN would expire at the end of this month (July) and True would make a statement next week on the status. Also, he was told on the phone by True that the new channels would start in August.

[Sarpedon]

I have heard that it will be business as usual till the end of this month...

[danone]

so, whats the satellite package to go for?

jsat?

[Ned]

Well Colino got it wrong this time if he wrote that espn will be scrapped at the end of July. Maybe it will but the tiny article in Saturday's BP (page 16, Sports Section) said the following:

".......a TrueVisions official said yesterday that the company is negotiating a new contract with ESPN.

TrueVisions is expected to issue an official statement about the matter next week. Its current contract with ESPN runs out at the end of July. They will continue to show ESPN and Star programmes in July."

I agree it doesn't look promising but if in fact they do bother to make an official statement it'll be interesting to see what that involves.

[danone]

true is already about the most expensive cable provider in the world and a monopolist so to say in thailand.

what is there to negotiate?

its purely greed-driven.

even if i'm no sports-channel-man, this finally blows it for me.

[phazey]

Loosing F1 & EPL is a bit of a pisser, but at least we've Asian X Games and go-karting to watch....

[t.s]

This is a copy of an email I have just sent to <[email protected]>. I for one have had enough!!

Account 8396xxx

Sawatee,

I, like many farang, are very concerned about rumours you are dropping ESPN and Star Sports. If this is the case I WILL NOT renew my contract in August.

I have noted over the 4 years we have subscribed that UBC - True programming has worsened to a point of being just being overpriced, boring repeats and the removal of the sports is the final straw.

Regards

xx

"I, like many farang?"

Why not:

"I, like many subscribers"

"I, like many customers"

"I, like many people"

Is the farang bit supposed to add credibility to what is a horribly wriiten email to begin with?

anyways ..... is there anything beyond rumour on this topic yet? arethe killing espn star altogether?

[bdenner]

This is a copy of an email I have just sent to <[email protected]>. I for one have had enough!!

Account 8396xxx

Sawatee,

I, like many farang, are very concerned about rumours you are dropping ESPN and Star Sports. If this is the case I WILL NOT renew my contract in August.

I have noted over the 4 years we have subscribed that UBC - True programming has worsened to a point of being just being overpriced, boring repeats and the removal of the sports is the final straw.

Regards

xx

"I, like many farang?"

Why not:

"I, like many subscribers"

"I, like many customers"

"I, like many people"

Is the farang bit supposed to add credibility to what is a horribly wriiten email to begin with?

anyways ..... is there anything beyond rumour on this topic yet? arethe killing espn star altogether?

I only get reaction from farang friends, the email was written by a farang, I don't speak for all walks of life only thoes I know. At least I had a reply from them, in English, that was posted in this topic.

What sort of proactive contribution did you make?? &lt;deleted&gt; there some wackers on this site?

[Old Man River]

Well Colino got it wrong this time if he wrote that espn will be scrapped at the end of July. Maybe it will but the tiny article in Saturday's BP (page 16, Sports Section) said the following:

".......a TrueVisions official said yesterday that the company is negotiating a new contract with ESPN.

TrueVisions is expected to issue an official statement about the matter next week. Its current contract with ESPN runs out at the end of July. They will continue to show ESPN and Star programmes in July."

I agree it doesn't look promising but if in fact they do bother to make an official statement it'll be interesting to see what that involves.

No, Colino got it right. ESPN and Star programs will expire at the end of July. Your credit cards also have expiry dates. That doesn't mean that ESPN and Star won't be renewed, similar to your credit cards. We will see.

I fully agree with your conclusion. Perhaps the reason the new A La Carte channels didn't start at the beginning of July as thought was because they are waiting to see what happens with ESPN and Star Sports. It will be much easier to announce the discontinuance of the sports channels if it coincides with the announcement about the new channels starting, with perhaps one month free viewing of these channels to spur subscriber interest.

[Jimjim]

No, Colino got it right. ESPN and Star programs will expire at the end of July.

No, the contract will expire, just as it did at the end of June and now they've negotiated one extra month to have more time to negotiate the long-term contract. Just think your words are misleading.

[Old Man River]

No, Colino got it right. ESPN and Star programs will expire at the end of July.

No, the contract will expire, just as it did at the end of June and now they've negotiated one extra month to have more time to negotiate the long-term contract. Just think your words are misleading.

I think you understood what I meant or you would not have been able to respond accordingly.

[Jimjim]

No, Colino got it right. ESPN and Star programs will expire at the end of July.

No, the contract will expire, just as it did at the end of June and now they've negotiated one extra month to have more time to negotiate the long-term contract. Just think your words are misleading.

I think you understood what I meant or you would not have been able to respond accordingly.

Well, I think the confusion came from whoever said they'd be scrapped, not from you.

[Old Man River]

No, Colino got it right. ESPN and Star programs will expire at the end of July.

No, the contract will expire, just as it did at the end of June and now they've negotiated one extra month to have more time to negotiate the long-term contract. Just think your words are misleading.

I think you understood what I meant or you would not have been able to respond accordingly.

Well, I think the confusion came from whoever said they'd be scrapped, not from you.

No, in all fairness, I paraphrased what the other guy said in another thread. I wish they would merge these two threads as info on channels going off the air and those coming on the air with so little info available from True means these discussions will continue throughout the month. Some good info on that thread and some good info on this one.

[silverhawk_usa]

I already posted this in another topic, but I'll repeat it here just for info sake;

Response from TRUE

Dear Sir

Thank you very much for your e-mail below. Regarding to your inquiry, we would like to inform you that production of TrueVisions Magazine as follow:

Step 1 : We must call meeting with concerned department for collect the schedule program from each of channel and

other information that we need to announce via UBC magazine.

Step 2 : Channel from abroad will send the schedule program of them to UBC about 1-2 months in advance.

Step 3 : Publication Team forward all information to the printing house. If there are some program has been changed by

Channel from abroad in the meantime, in case the printing has been started, we cannot correct the schedule for

update .That’s why, the schedule in Monthly Magazine has been changed .

As for this case, we are in the process of extending the contract of ESPN & Star Sport during that time so both channels did not send us the program schedule. Sorry if this caused you any inconvenience. However, you may receive daily listing program of these channels at www.truevisionstv.com

Concerning about HBO & Discovery details, we would like to inform you that we’ll inform you through our media once we received the information.

Should you have any further queries, please contact our TrueVisions care tel: 0-2271-7171 or email; [email protected]

Best regards

TrueVisions Care"

[JetsetBkk]

I see the file "ubcschedule.zip" normally available here: http://www.truevisionstv.com/index.aspx still contains last months programming.

Normally they update it on the first of the month at the very latest.

[Mobi]

So just to add to the confusion, from the above posts, I extrapolate the following:

Original contract did expire at the end of June - hence no details of programmes in July mag. even though they put the details on their own website. It was all Bulls.t about them not receiving programme details.

At some point during the 'brinkmanship' negotiations with ESPN they probably realised that even arrogant, incompetent idiots like True/UBC couldn't really get away with cutting off Wimbledon half way through the tournament, and blanking out the French Grand Prix on Sunday without notice, so they did a deal with ESPN for one more month.

As they have a new one month contract, they are not being untruthful when they now say that the current contract ends at the end of July.

I now think it more likely than ever that the contract will NOT be extended any further, and expect an announcement shortly to that effect.

A pity - I was almost hoping for it to go of the air on 1St July just to see the public outcry and what UBC would say to justify their decision. Unfortunately they probably also anticipated the outcry, and will now be able to 'manage' the closure a bit better by giving us 2 - 3 weeks notice of cancellation.

Lets hope I'm wrong.

[Ned]

I agree 100% with you Mobi. Espnstar is living on borrowed time. Let's wait for the announcement and see what those peniles down at True have planned eh.