CTH confirms deal with MCOT for EPL broadcasts

[Lite Beer]

CTH confirms deal with MCOT for EPL broadcasts

BANGKOK: -- CTH chief executive officer Kittsanan Ngampathipong said yesterday that because of a confidentiality agreement under the EPL terms and conditions, he could not disclose further details.

"As we have a small sales team to work on sponsorship via free television, the sublicensing deal is the right answer," Kittsanan said.

Modernine TV will select 17 of the 380 live matches per season of the English soccer league for broadcast.

Sublicensing

A source at MCOT revealed earlier that the board led by chairman Sutham Saengpratoom had opted to pay Bt140 million for the sublicensing deal with CTH under revenue sharing from advertisements generated from live matches and highlight programmes.

The high-profile executive at MCOT said the live EPL matches would create more revenue for the state media enterprise in the fourth quarter of this year and the first half of 2014 in line with improved audience ratings during that period.

Kittsanan said that as the EPL's new season was drawing near, CTH was putting emphasis on improving customer services including call centres, recruiting new installers, enhancing the billing system and upgrading software.

Since the official launch of CTH last month, the company has faced many problems, mainly customer complaints. It is suffering from insufficient labour force of installers, so it wants at least to double their number from 2,000 now. CTH insists that this year's target remains unchanged at 3 million subscribers from 400 local dealers and cable TV operators. Right now, Kittsanan admitted that it only had about 60,000 subscribers for its satellite and cable TV networks.

-- The Nation 2013-07-27

[CIHUAHUA]

"A source at MCOT revealed earlier that the board led by chairman Sutham Saengpratoom had opted to pay Bt140 million for the sublicensing deal with CTH under revenue sharing from advertisements generated from live matches and highlight programmes."

Here it is, 30 min of tv programming and 20 min of adverts.

[sport]

Installed the CTH satellite system last week. I would have preferred the Cable option but there is no Fibre Optic cable as yet where I live.

News channels include Channel news Asia, Fox News, Sky News International, Australia Network, NHK and France 24 all in English language. No CNN or BBC World also No PVR facility. Fox Sports Plus HD is 10 seconds behind True Visions Fox Sports Plus HD. The EPG is 1 hour ahead of Thai time; this is probably due to the feed being from Vinasat 2.

I am certainly not a fan of True Visions, but IMHO I have to admit they have got some things right.

[Bagwan]

60K subscribers and they want 3 mill. Hhmm. Sounds like another disaster about to unfold. I wonder if it will rank alongside the Gold Card debacle.

[joecos]

I have just had CTH installed , only got it for EPL . Fingers & toes crossed , all goes well .

[brewsterbudgen]

MCOT is free on Channel 9 (on True), right?

As someone who cannot get CTH, it seems I might now get some live football.

[Sparkles]

MCOT is free on Channel 9 (on True), right?

As someone who cannot get CTH, it seems I might now get some live football.

You should be able to get CTH anywhere in Thailand, via satellite dish.You just need to find a dealer.

[brewsterbudgen]

MCOT is free on Channel 9 (on True), right?

As someone who cannot get CTH, it seems I might now get some live football.

You should be able to get CTH anywhere in Thailand, via satellite dish.You just need to find a dealer.

My condo in Phra Khanong (Bangkok) doesn't let individuals use their own satellite dishes, and says it can't provide a communal dish like it does for True. So unfortunately as things stand now, I can't get CTH.

[misterangry]

I have just had CTH installed , only got it for EPL . Fingers & toes crossed , all goes well .

May I ask how much is the installation and how many channels are in English, and its 599 per month right?

Thanks

[stoneyboy]

I have just had CTH installed , only got it for EPL . Fingers & toes crossed , all goes well .

May I ask how much is the installation and how many channels are in English, and its 599 per month right?

Thanks

I paid 4300 baht for equipment and installation,if you want the football it's 899 baht a month,but they have some offers on if you purchase over longer like 1 - 2 or 3 years.

31 HD channels mostly in English as well as others off the top of my head I don't know hw many in total.

[misterangry]

Thanks for the speedy reply and info

[SantiSuk]

Thanks for the speedy reply and info

Speedy but maybe misleading if we are talking a satellite installation. Ignore this though if you are talking cable - I don't know cable pricing, but it may be the same.

I think that the official prices for a satellite installation are as follows:

Digital box plus dish 1,800 + VAT (a refundable deposit I think)

Installation charge 500 + VAT

Total costs at installation ThB 2,461 including VAT

In addition you may be asked for a mileage contribution if you are located a distance away from the dealer's* base. We paid 500 baht for their installer to travel 65 kilometres. You may also be asked to pay additional materials cost if the installer has to put in say an extra lengthy run of cable. We were not asked to do so for a run from roof through loft of about 20 metres.

In addition you will obviously be asked to pay rental at some time and this may be invoiced up front, or it may be asked for at installation(?). One or two monthly payments may be asked for at 962 baht per month (too many people are quoting ex-VAT prices - retailers who quote exVAT prices like 899 baht a month are unethical IMO, especially when the advert does not have a clear reference to the VAT attached). If you trust CTH to be around for a year (I do) you can opt for a "pay 10 months up front, get 12 months rental" deal. In that event you will pay Thb 9,619 up front, which is the equivalent of 802 baht a month - a saving of 17%. You can save even more if you are prepared to pay 2 or 3 years up front (I am not!).

Finally there has been at least one ThaiV report of a dealer (or maybe it was the 'man-in-the-van' himself doing a try-on) seeking some additional payment for who knows what. Best strategy is to use the official list of dealers (rather than CTH's central number in which case you will get who you're given), reproduced in one of the CTH threads on the Football forum. Get a Thai to call that nearest dealer and ask for how much you will pay and when, or struggle through in pigeon English - reports are that most of the official satellite installers have an operator who will at least struggle with you in English :-). Be very precise with them about how much (including VAT) for what and write it down. If you think there is something dodgy being added then call the next nearest dealer. I'm in the wilds of Issaan but there are three official dealers within 80k of me. If the man in the van asks for more and has no decent explanation why, call the dealer's office. I found our Sisaket dealer to be very helpful and willing to spend the time despite the obvious pressure of new work.

On the payment front, we have paid only the mileage charge to the van-man so far, the rest will be invoiced to my wife by mail; she had to email her ID to the dealer's office in advance of installation. Now if only I can get her to pay it .....

Hope this helps: E&OE - we have not seen the invoice yet!

*Dealer is the term that CTH use. These seem to be local satellite shops who are acting as franchise agents for CTH in the installation and rental invoicing. The actual mechanics who turned up with dish and box and erected and connected were obviously sub-contractors of the local dealer, from a different town and even wearing True Visions vests!

Edited July 30, 2013 by SantiSuk

[MrMuddle]

We didn't have any of the problems Santisuk had. We're in Phetchabun, the installer was supposed to come Monday, but phoned Sunday and asked if he could do the satellite install a day early. Really professional job, all done in a little under 2 hours.

CTH seems to have better quality HD picture than True Visions, and so far we're very pleased with CTH. Price same as paid by Stoneyboy, included fitting a new dish ( I'd read on here of some companies using the True dish, but this company didn't). 4300 Baht total price, includes the first months rental payment of 899 Baht.

Very satisfied customer so far, with the added bonus no more True Visions - they have messed us around something awful, especially as we were customers for over 11 years, glad to be rid of them.

[SantiSuk]

Invoice just arrived. It's as expected, except that the 'Deposit STB/DVtv' fee of 1,800 baht does not attract VAT. Payable at any Bangkok Bank. Total of 11,954 baht to pay for everything including one year's viewing. I like the fact I don't need to remember to pay monthly for a year now, but lets hope they stick around and provide good English Premier League coverage.