StarHub's EPL subscription starts from $19.99 a month with early bird discount
Four months after it became the official English Premier League (EPL) broadcaster in Singapore, StarHub on Wednesday (June 8) announced subscription pricing will start from $19.99 monthly.
In comparison, for the recently concluded season, Singtel subscribers were paying $64.90 a month to catch the EPL on TV and $49.90 a month to watch it on video streaming service Cast.
StarHub will run early bird offers, from Thursday to June 30, for the first 25,000 subscribers. This is for its newly launched over-the-top service (OTT) Premier+, which covers all 380 "live" matches starting Aug 6.
Prices start from $19.99 (customers with a StarHub mobile postpaid, broadband or TV plan that costs more than $15 a month) and $34.99 (Premier+ only).
These increase to $24.99 and $39.99 respectively after the promotion period. No minimum contract is required for both options.
OTT services are available only for mobile devices, though it can also be watched on compatible smart TVs or streamed via Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay.
Singtel pay-TV subscribers can continue to still watch EPL games through the cross-carriage arrangement - which has been in place since 2013 - but will have to pay the $64.90 monthly price.
Johan Buse, StarHub chief of consumer business group, said the EPL games "are hands down the most watched live sports programme in Singapore" and the telco will "energise this passion, by bringing the game back to all at lower prices".
He added: "Customers can expect a whole-new football viewing experience, complete with immersive features, unparalleled flexibility, and continuous upgrades."
StarHub, which reported an increase from 376,000 to 450,000 entertainment subscribers (a combination of OTT and pay-TV) in the first quarter this year, declined to disclose how much it paid for its latest six-year deal with the EPL.
In 2007, it reportedly paid $250 million for a three-year contract, before Singtel was said to have forked out $400 million from 2010 to 2013 as it took over the broadcast rights from its rival.
Singtel had held those rights until this year.
StarHub's new Premier+ can also be accessed from any five registered devices and two simultaneous streams with a single subscription.
Besides key highlights in 4k Ultra HD, new features include the option to watch two EPL matches simultaneously on a single screen or view the game from the perspective of one's favourite player, live game statistics, and a mobile function to skip and scroll through key match moments via match stories.
More info will be available at their website or at StarHub Shops, while existing consumers can subscribe via My StarHub app.
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