Paying the price for the World Cup: Thai editorial

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Paying the price for the World Cup
The Nation

The cost of a "ticket" is scaring many fans away from the world's most popular sporting event

BANGKOK: -- The world's most popular sport is not necessarily the cheapest to watch. When the World Cup kicks off tomorrow, the action will be out of reach for many fans around the globe. The planet's most spectacular sporting event has been plagued by sponsorship and licensing problems, so much so that uncertainty over how many people will get to see it live lingers in many countries - including Thailand

The best-case scenario for football fans would be to get all matches on free TV. It won't happen and never will, though, now that the "beautiful game" has become so potentially lucrative. However, fans in Thailand got a boost this week with the news that local broadcast-rights holder RS had struck a deal with TrueVisions, meaning many subscribers will now be able to watch the games without paying extra.

But that still leaves the majority of footie fans with a dilemma: fork out Bt1,590 for an RS World Cup set-top box to ensure they don't miss a single game in the once-every-four-years event, or stick with free TV where only 22 of the 64 matches will be broadcast.

And it's not just fans in Thailand who are facing difficult choices. Across the globe, viewers are having to pay extra for the satellite and cable TV feeds of the tournament. Fans in Hong Kong have to sign up for two years of cable service at the equivalent of Bt160 per month, while US-based pay-TV subscribers need to cough up an extra US$10.

Those who don't pay up will find themselves sidelined. For example, in Thailand the 22 live matches on free TV mostly feature unfancied teams.

Money has poured in from sponsors, but the massive costs of building stadiums and ensuring security for the tournament means that the World Cup comes with a price tag attached. Bids for broadcasting rights have soared and so have other costs involved with the game. With each tournament striving to be more spectacular than the last, costs have spiralled. Stadiums must be grand and the opening ceremony a visual feast, while broadcast technology must make leaps to keep up with demands of watching TV fans.

But all the razzmatazz and hi-tech visuals can't disguise the fact that we have lost a measure of World Cup spirit. In past decades the telecast technology may have been poor, but it was free, meaning all fans could join in the fun of the tournament. What is supposed to be a global celebration of the world's most popular sport now threatens to become a private party enjoyed only by those with money enough for a "ticket".

Sport is supposed to inspire. We owe a debt to those who invented the beautiful game of football and those who launched its World Cup back in 1930. But the tournament's organisers and the businesses that reap huge profits from the event should take a step back and rethink their strategy. Fans understand that they must share the cost of staging the event, but there needs to be a balance between making money and making the game accessible to the poorest corners of the globe. Football is all about the fans, and without them the game, however beautiful, loses all meaning.


-- The Nation 2014-06-11

[bigbamboo]

Think how the Brazilians feel. FIFA will walk away with 3 billion dollars profit whilst the hosts will spend a fortune and be left with expensive stadiums which in most cases will never be filled again.

[Mister Max]

No, all professional sports are about the money.

[millwall_fan]

Ordinary Thais will crowd around any TV set they can find showing the games - as they have done in previous world cups (very late night games may be a problem, but Thais are adept at getting round laws and curfews and the like and will see the games) The Nation of course only speaks to the wine bar set, and wouldn't know an ordinary person if they jumped out in front of them.

Have RS bought an English language commentary this time? 4 years ago, they didn't and we had to use Radio 5 Live soundtrack and a piggy-back laptop to match the radio sound with the TV pictures. That or put up with a Thai commentary where the only way of displaying emotion is is to repeat ohhhh-hhhoo a thousand times a match!

[bigbamboo]

Ordinary Thais will crowd around any TV set they can find showing the games - as they have done in previous world cups (very late night games may be a problem, but Thais are adept at getting round laws and curfews and the like and will see the games) The Nation of course only speaks to the wine bar set, and wouldn't know an ordinary person if they jumped out in front of them.

Have RS bought an English language commentary this time? 4 years ago, they didn't and we had to use Radio 5 Live soundtrack and a piggy-back laptop to match the radio sound with the TV pictures. That or put up with a Thai commentary where the only way of displaying emotion is is to repeat ohhhh-hhhoo a thousand times a match!

Thank goodness Thai television don't have a sound effects machine for football.

[NongKhaiKid]

Think how the Brazilians feel. FIFA will walk away with 3 billion dollars profit whilst the hosts will spend a fortune and be left with expensive stadiums which in most cases will never be filled again.

A Brazilian interviewed by the BBC simply said that the WC was for Fifa not the ordinary fans.

Brazil is synonymous with football so the depth of feeling and opposition to the money being spent by the government is very telling. It's hard to imagine so many Brazilians protesting against the tournament being held in their country.

[kingalfred]

Amazing how some think the language of the commentary is so important.Watching a game and not having to hear 2 people who like the sound of their own voice pontificating on what I can see is preferable ,Sound effects from the match alone is perfectly adequate.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[millwall_fan]

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Amazing how some think the language of the commentary is so important.Watching a game and not having to hear 2 people who like the sound of their own voice pontificating on what I can see is preferable ,Sound effects from the match alone is perfectly adequate.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It's true that its a sad fact that sport on TV seems to need commentary - but for me it does: In English!

[kwak250]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Amazing how some think the language of the commentary is so important.Watching a game and not having to hear 2 people who like the sound of their own voice pontificating on what I can see is preferable ,Sound effects from the match alone is perfectly adequate.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It's true that its a sad fact that sport on TV seems to need commentary - but for me it does: In English!

Totally agree I actually have it on mute rather than the thai commentary.

Radio 5 is a great idea

I watched all the premiership games via Cth and was very happy to switch to English

[kwak250]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Amazing how some think the language of the commentary is so important.Watching a game and not having to hear 2 people who like the sound of their own voice pontificating on what I can see is preferable ,Sound effects from the match alone is perfectly adequate.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It's true that its a sad fact that sport on TV seems to need commentary - but for me it does: In English!

Not sure about that I actually have it on mute rather than the thai commentary.

Radio 5 is a great idea

I watched all the premiership games via Cth and was very happy to switch to English

I would prefer a dog barking than all than oooh hooo .len mi dee. mi dee .

[kwak250]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Amazing how some think the language of the commentary is so important.Watching a game and not having to hear 2 people who like the sound of their own voice pontificating on what I can see is preferable ,Sound effects from the match alone is perfectly adequate.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It's true that its a sad fact that sport on TV seems to need commentary - but for me it does: In English!

Not sure about that I actually have it on mute rather than the thai commentary.

Radio 5 is a great idea

I watched all the premiership games via Cth and was very happy to switch to English

I would prefer a dog barking than all than oooh hooo .len mi dee. mi dee .

[HeavyDrinker]

Ordinary Thais will crowd around any TV set they can find showing the games - as they have done in previous world cups

Agree.

I'm sure crowding around a TV set in some dark hole as rain bounces down all around, keeping an eye open for the authorities, with scarcely a clear view of the action, as opposed to sitting at home in a favourite chair with pals or the wife and family will delight them....

[marko kok prong]

For once a good article by the nation,i agree with them,fifa are totally corrupt and don't care about fan's,only money is a disgrace that all matches are not shown free.

[bigbamboo]

One piece of good news for football fans everywhere.

It seems pressure is now being applied from several quarters to force Blatter to not stand for re election again following his recent comments that calls to investigate corruption at FIFA amounted to racism. It seems the Teflon Swiss may have come unstuck this time.

[marko kok prong]

One piece of good news for football fans everywhere.

It seems pressure is now being applied from several quarters to force Blatter to not stand for re election again following his recent comments that calls to investigate corruption at FIFA amounted to racism. It seems the Teflon Swiss may have come unstuck this time.

I really hope that is the case,but i hope he is not replaced by Platini,with his half baked ideas ,such as increasing the number of teams in the euro's and possibly having a wild card system that could see the likes of San marino in the finals,also Platini is an advocate for the Qatar world cup,which has to be changed in my opinion,that it was voted for at all show's fifa is rotten to the core.

[LuckyLew]

World cup will soon enough end up like the olympic bidding process, countries will stop wanting to host these events to due costs

[NongKhaiKid]

One piece of good news for football fans everywhere.

It seems pressure is now being applied from several quarters to force Blatter to not stand for re election again following his recent comments that calls to investigate corruption at FIFA amounted to racism. It seems the Teflon Swiss may have come unstuck this time.

The BBC is reporting that while the Europeans are laying it on he is, unfortunately, receiving support from other confederations so can be expected to stand again and WIN !

[bigbamboo]

World cup will soon enough end up like the olympic bidding process, countries will stop wanting to host these events to due costs

Great. That may be the only way I'll ever get to see a World Cup in England.

With the 2018 tournament going to Russia, the 2022 to Asia (hopefully not Qatar), 2026 is due for Africa, 2030 for the Americas (most likely Uruguay to celebrate the centenary) that means it will be 2034 before it returns to Europe again.

[BillyBobThai]

Have never watched one of these matches and do not see why I ever will.

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand's inability to sort out the coverage has nothing to do with Fifa and everything to do with Thailand's legal system to govern TV rights and legalities.

Wasnt the Thai delegate one of those implicated in the mess with Bin Hammam?

Edited June 11, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[wandasloan]

I really hope that is the case,but i hope he is not replaced by Platini,with his half baked ideas ,such as increasing the number of teams in the euro's and possibly having a wild card system that could see the likes of San marino in the finals,also Platini is an advocate for the Qatar world cup,which has to be changed in my opinion,that it was voted for at all show's fifa is rotten to the core.

Amazing, isn't it? Yes, following a period of autocratic dictatorship, where the autocrat got rid of every viable opposition voice and potential decent replacement, it will be very hard for a group to function well for quite a while - "get it together" as the Americans say.

Or a country, right?

.

[hhinhh]

Sport is only the front picture, in fact it is hard business and a lot of corruption. No politican dares to touch this hot iron because there are too many fans. So the fans have to boycot the FIFA otherwise the things will get even worse.

[SiggiCM]

what a bullshit this report, costs for stadiums, security, logistic and so on, have nothing toether with the the TV broadcasting,

all the money for TV broadcasting goes to FIFA, all costs are paid by Brasil society.

and it is easy to bring it in free TV, like in Germany, France, Czech, Holland, all matches 64 are in free TV,