|
An official release informs that three key properties are on the
encrypted Star Sports South East Asia feed. The latest sports properties
that Star Sports will air live are the UEFA Champions League which
was previously not aired on the channel. Meanwhile the Tennis Masters
Series and PGA Golf move from same-day delay telecast to live telecast.
Earlier this year, the network began airing two live UEFA Champions
League matches per week. Previous to that, live matches were only
on ESPN. Now, two different UEFA matches are telecast live simultaneously
on ESPN and STAR Sports, giving football fans that much more to
choose from.
The new season of the Tennis Masters Series is now broadcast live
on Star Sports. The reason for this move is that there has been
a recent surge of interest in the sport in Asia with local players
doing well against the best. Korea's Lee Hyung Taik recently won
his first tournament of the year. Thailand’s Paradorn Srichiphan
who last year upset Andre Aggasi at Wimbledon is making serious
movement on the ATP rankings.
Golf may still be an elitist sport but the PGA tour has a huge
audience following in the continent. Last year the PGA Tour Golf
on Star Sports was watched by a projected 46.7 million cable viewers
in non-metered markets and 13.3 million in the people-meter markets
of Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan. (Source: TAM Media Xpress
India, Nielsen Taiwan Telescope, TN Sofres Infosys Singapore and
Nielsen Hong Kong Telescope. five-minute reach for India, one-minute
reach for all other markets, January-November 2002)
Other sports programmes that viewers already get to watch live
on the channel include English Premier League, Spanish Primera Liga,
Formula One motor racing, US Open Tennis, Wimbledon, NBA, Rugby
World Cup, Tri-Nations Rugby, Six Nations Rugby and Sanzar Home
Tests.
The release also states that Star Sports is received in 56 million
households across Asia.
|