Best satellite TV package for sports channels

[simon43]

Firstly, I am not concerned with cable TV subscriptions - my location is 'off-network'. Nor am I interested in TV channels delivered via internet - my location is also 'off-network' for fast internet.

I currently have satellite dishes for reception of Asiasat 5 and 7, which gives me a good choice of non-Thai channels.

I want to add some sports channels to my system, and understand that I will need to subscribe to a channel package. Setana Sports would be perfect, but that distribution in Thailand is held by True, who only resell it with Thai audio - AFAIK

If I have to subscribe to sports channels in Thai, so be it. But English audio would be much preferred.

I am interested in football, rugby, motor racing etc TV channels.

How do the various satellite TV packages (that can be received in Thailand) compare? ==> True, CTH, ???

[bkkgooner]

If you want rugby you would need to get True Sports 4 as that is basically just Setanta to the best of my knowledge

CTH shows all of the premier league games live

[rawhod]

As far as I can tell, your Asiasat 5 & 7 will not give you little, if any, UK sport. You would be better using Thaicom 5. If you use a big dish for C-band reception, you may still be able to receive some of the channels from Asiasat since their footprints overlap.

I am going through a similar exercise with my TV requirements (see my thread in the Audio/Visual sub forum)

True have lost the UK Premiership rights to CTH, so you have to use CTH, or someone who is licensed by CTH, to receive Premiership football.

GMM-Z Pay TV are one such provider.

However, some of their re-organised packages are what I would describe as customer unfriendly...eg Sports Mania package (which excludes Fox Sports) but is included in their Hollywood Plus package. Nat Geo is spread over at least two packages.

Their top package, CTH Premier League+ HD, at 3,599 BHT for 270 days gives you almost every thing (except the GMM football channels which carry Championship and Bundesliga football). You do get Fox Sports channels which carry the F1 motor racing.

One of the advantages in Thailand is that there is no embargo on TV showing 3pm kickoffs as there is in the UK. You get most, if not all the 3pm kickoffs shown on the six stadium channels...good eh!

Hope that helps

(Nearly forgot, they will not have the broadcast rights to Eurosport from 1 Jan next year)

[wayne hoskins]

Who has the cricket..thank you

[bigyin]

I don't think any Thai broadcaster has the cricket. Certainly not True or CTH.

[wayne hoskins]

Thanks for that mate.

[Chicog]

It depends where you are really.

Astro shows cricket, but they only reach so far up the mainland.

Star/ESPN seem to have been buying up the rights for the World Cup, but whether that means Thailand or not I don't know.

Sames goes to the OP, as Astro cover over sports as well, including EPL, etc.

[BORRISGOODENUF]

SURVEY THE POSSIBILITIES OF A PACKAGE FROM INDIA.

[jonbart]

How about American College Football? I have True with ASN1 and FOX sports that sometimes have games. Dropping ASN2 cut the number of games available in half. I am looking for a way to access the new playoffs coming up. Thanks for any assistance.

[Chongalulu]

I recently had CTH installed as I wanted premier league football. They didn't turn up on agreed day and kept saying they were looking for someone to do it. Seems I had arranged it by Bangkok office as per telephone number on website. Came across a booth in mall in korat who said they could come out next day to Phimai but cost me 4000 baht installation whereas Bangkok office quoted 500 baht. Wife said they'd probably never find anyone and if they did then they'd suddenly say it was more! What a shower! Having been used to a sky + box this one is dreadful,like a sky box of 15 years ago!...and as for the program guide 555! But premier league football is a must for me like many others probably which probably explains the crap service and equipment.

[jonbart]

I recently had CTH installed as I wanted premier league football. They didn't turn up on agreed day and kept saying they were looking for someone to do it. Seems I had arranged it by Bangkok office as per telephone number on website. Came across a booth in mall in korat who said they could come out next day to Phimai but cost me 4000 baht installation whereas Bangkok office quoted 500 baht. Wife said they'd probably never find anyone and if they did then they'd suddenly say it was more! What a shower! Having been used to a sky + box this one is dreadful,like a sky box of 15 years ago!...and as for the program guide 555! But premier league football is a must for me like many others probably which probably explains the crap service and equipment.

Thank you for the reply. I am not familiar with CTH or sky box, but I will look into them both. Thanks again.

[bigyin]

CTH is the only way to go for those of us who must have UK football but all Thai TV providers provide a fairly basic service and can in no way be compared to Sky+ which is of course and unfortunately UK only.

[rayongchelsea]

On your tablet:

Ais on Air is a viable alternative for watching premier league.

True Anywhere for the champions league.

[xpat user]

Hi

I have come across Wi-Fi TV, they do over 30 languages including two UK packs.Afriend of mine bought a package and is very happy.

[worgeordie]

ilikeHD,has just about every sport you can think of, from horse racing,rugby,football,cricket,

boxing,golf,and those American "sports".

regards worgeordie

[Ulic]

I used True (Gold) plenty of sports. No complaints plenty of English and Thai sports channels. Unfortunately

I have nothing to compare it to so I do not know if one option is better than another.

[marquis22]

As far as I can tell, your Asiasat 5 & 7 will not give you little, if any, UK sport. You would be better using Thaicom 5. If you use a big dish for C-band reception, you may still be able to receive some of the channels from Asiasat since their footprints overlap.

I am going through a similar exercise with my TV requirements (see my thread in the Audio/Visual sub forum)

True have lost the UK Premiership rights to CTH, so you have to use CTH, or someone who is licensed by CTH, to receive Premiership football.

GMM-Z Pay TV are one such provider.

However, some of their re-organised packages are what I would describe as customer unfriendly...eg Sports Mania package (which excludes Fox Sports) but is included in their Hollywood Plus package. Nat Geo is spread over at least two packages.

Their top package, CTH Premier League+ HD, at 3,599 BHT for 270 days gives you almost every thing (except the GMM football channels which carry Championship and Bundesliga football). You do get Fox Sports channels which carry the F1 motor racing.

One of the advantages in Thailand is that there is no embargo on TV showing 3pm kickoffs as there is in the UK. You get most, if not all the 3pm kickoffs shown on the six stadium channels...good eh!

Hope that helps

(Nearly forgot, they will not have the broadcast rights to Eurosport from 1 Jan next year)

Do you know who will broadcast Eurosport as I like to see the cycling

[Will27]

ilikeHD,has just about every sport you can think of, from horse racing,rugby,football,cricket,

boxing,golf,and those American "sports".

regards worgeordie

I signed up to ilikehd just for the cricket.

I find it hit and miss to be honest. It seems (cricket) to be on

Sky Sports2 channel which isn't always available.

Yesterday it was on pretty much all day whereas today, it's not available.

I'll take what I can get though as it's only 350 Baht per month.

[Will27]

ilikeHD,has just about every sport you can think of, from horse racing,rugby,football,cricket,

boxing,golf,and those American "sports".

regards worgeordie

I signed up to ilikehd just for the cricket.

I find it hit and miss to be honest. It seems (cricket) to be on

Sky Sports2 channel which isn't always available.

Yesterday it was on pretty much all day whereas today, it's not available.

I'll take what I can get though as it's only 350 Baht per month.

It looks as if ilikehd has lost Sky sports channels which at this stage means no cricket coverage.

Will start looking for other avenues.

[Chicog]

I've posted this link before and it works great in the sandpit, but I can't vouch for Thailand (although I can't see any reason why it wouldn't provided you have acceptable bandwidth, 4Mb seems to suffice).

http://ccsattv.com/index.php/internet-tv/iptv

I was watching the Aussie test match before I went to work this morning.

Picture is about SD quality, more than watchable.

I might bring it to Thailand next week and try it out, the box is the size of, say, half a dozen smartphones stacked on top of each other.

[lopburi3]

CTH is the only way to go for those of us who must have UK football but all Thai TV providers provide a fairly basic service and can in no way be compared to Sky+ which is of course and unfortunately UK only.

Believe GMMZ offers many of the CTH sport stations also. Know I went through 3 or 4 stations showing UK football last night (not a sports fan but many pay stations on view for limited time when you activate there Gold package with a new sat box).