Thumbs up for AIS Mobile app, thumbs down for CTH

[Lite Beer]

OFF THE MARK
Thumbs up for AIS Mobile app, thumbs down for CTH
Jintana Panyaarvudh

Life will never be the same for Thailand's football fans as there are more stakeholders, platforms, and contents in the broadcasting landscape.

Predictably, the debut of the English Premier League (EPL) broadcast by the new rights owner, CTH, received more brickbats than bouquets. Not to mention the difficulty in applying for a subscription. Some have to wait for a month or two to get a dealer or CTH itself to install a set-top box.

Currently, fans in Thailand are able to watch the entire EPL's 380 matches via CTH's set-top-box (17 live matches will be televised through Modernine TV) and the AIS Mobile Barclays Premier League app.

Surprisingly, the number of subscribers for the AIS app is far more than the rights owner, CTH. AIS revealed after the first match of the season that more than 200,000 people have registered for the app while CTH, according to its executive two weeks ago, installed only 20,000 set-top boxes out of the 700,000 who have applied for the network.

Do footie fans change their watching behaviour? Yes if the options are limited. Smart phone users, whose numbers are growing, are opting to watch the game via their mobile devices than television screens. Perhaps it has something to do with the cost, which is cheaper. Or simply they just cannot wait in the queue for an infinite amount of time to get CTH install the receiver at their homes.

CTH's marketing strategy and its communication are abysmally poor. Its official website has no interactive function for customers to seek more information or ask questions.

A flood of complaints poured into a Facebook page named "Doo Ball Sod CTH-Premier League" (watch live CTH-Premier League) after the first match. Although there was no statement that it was the official page of CTH, the page admin was slammed because of lack of responses to the complaints.

Most of the complaints were about the poor signal quality and sound including the lethargic attitude of the company in installing the boxes. Some fans cried foul after missing out on John Dykes, who left ESPNStar to join the Barclays Premier League Television (PLTV) as a football presenter.

"Big results spark big reactions. Arsenal's surprise 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa [on the first match] would have had the pitch side reporter begging for many questions. Sadly, bigger questions were being begged by CTH viewers as absolutely no post-match reaction was offered. We were even teased with Manchester United players warming up, followed by David Moyes appearing to give his first pre-match interview, yet CTH scored a massive own goal by denying all its viewers of this occasion and switching back to the three Thai presenters in the studio for no apparent reason," wrote Leicester City and EPL fan Clive Nagington, showing his utter disappointment.

Normally exclusive rights mean full contents that include PLTV, interviews of managers before and after the matches. CTH does have game analysis and highlights by Thai presenters but it should not be forgotten that there are a sizeable number of foreign football fans living in Thailand and they need game analysis, previews, and match interviews in English.

I tried to reach CTH but there was no response. However, my source at CTH says that the PLTV will start in the next two weeks.

AIS app subscribers, on the other hand, are thrilled to watch their beloved team. But CTH seems to disappoint the fans and surprisingly oblivious of the value of the Bt9 billion assets they secured. Or is the behaviour typical of the new kids on the block as many said?

-- The Nation 2013-09-01

[smokie36]

Add a smart Tv and away you go....

[chooka]

what's the pic of the Chinese Sheila got to do with soccer?

[ratanafarmer]

I dont know what the problem is....???

go CTH 2 days ago....look on this moment Arsenal-Spurs...Super sound-Picture in Hd..!!

Ok..no pre-post show...but who cares!!!

Maybe Iam lucky here in the lower E-san..!!!

[muratremix]

Add a smart Tv and away you go....

Although I'm not a football fan, I would like to know how you watch these for free?

[Thaddeus]

I've been happily watching the CTH coverage of the Premier League since the first ball was kicked this season, on a fairly large TV in a fairly large bar with a fairly large number of friends.

Would I watch a football game on a mobile device? please, get real.

Article obviously written by someone with bias for a media outlet and not a real sports fan.

[furseller]

I have been watching all my sports through live streamings for years and very happy with it.

Both CTH / True Vision contain too many junk channels.

[eTiMaGo]

Would I watch a football game on a mobile device? please, get real.

Lot of locals do... To each his own, not everyone might like the pub/bar ambience, and installing a dish may not be an option... I think it's good there is this alternative, not locking people down to a receiver (or their living room)... And it's a legal alternative to the dozens of "alternative" streaming websites

My experience with CTH has been quite good, satellite receiver installation was done within a week of applying (in suburban BKK), and the quality of the broadcasts have been quite good... Of course, for anything other than the BPL matches, it's pretty useless unless you are into extreme sports and/or trucks racing in the mud...

[crazykopite]

I cannot complain about CTH my installation was carried out one week before the premiership began the installers were very good clean and smart and very tidy the picture quality is superb my only comment is with regards to the Thai commentators pre match and half time especailly last night I just could not stop laughing at the clown who had a red head bun around his dreadlocks for the Liverpool v maure game I have never laughed so much in my life imagine that geek on the box in the UK !!!!!!!!!!

Great win for the men of Merseyside the league table does not lie Will be glad to wake up tomorrow knowing the football window is closed and we can get back to normal !!!!

[Nobbie49]

The Nation aren't exactly fans of Thaksin so they have to throw mud at CTH (in case you didn't know one of his lawyers is the owner). I had CTV installed a month ago, took all of 20 minutes to do so and I have gawd knows how many channels in HD now, absolutely superb. Poor service?? My system crashed a few weeks ago (pushing buttons I shouldn't have), called CTV keeping my fingers crossed as it was a Sunday evening only to be very pleasantly and effectively serviced by one of their call centre engineers and all this in perfect English as well. Kudos all around.

[tango]

^^^ 'what's the pic of the Chinese Sheila got to do with soccer?' Exactly!

And what's with the brown mold under her nose...will she soon insert a follicle of hair to grow, a la Hồ Chí Minh?

Absolutely 'gusting...now back to the kickoff.

[sexy man]

i applied on a monday and i got a phone call the next afternoon[tues] saying they could connect me in 10 minutes time. they arrived promptly and had it all up and running in less than an hour great reception and about 20 channels in english, agree about no english pundits at half time but as it is less than half the price of true visions i cant complain.

i live in pattaya

[PoorSucker]

Subscribed on Saturday, got installed on time this Wednesday.

Great service.

Live on Samui.