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SINGAPORE: The changes in rules for pay-TV services in Singapore could help improve the business climate for SingTel and StarHub. That's according to industry-watchers speaking to Channel NewsAsia.
They were responding to Friday’s announcement that pay-TV retailers with exclusive content must now allow such programming to be carried by rival retailers.
Up to now, pay-TV retailers in Singapore have been competing on content. And that's why there was fierce bidding for the rights to broadcast English Premier League football matches here.
But those days are drawing to a close.
Analysts said Friday’s announcement means that pay-TV providers in Singapore will now be able to compete on a more level playing field with service and platform quality being the differentiating factors.
Kenneth Liew, senior market analyst, IDC Financial Insights, said: "Both will have similar content and both have the rights to broadcast what the other party is broadcasting. So for the consumer, it's good news because consumers can watch whatever channels they are interested in on the platform they subscribed to."
Experts also said that this could possibly lead to savings for pay-TV providers.
Mr Liew added: "In terms of pricing, in future bidding, both companies are likely to not bid so much on exclusive content because at the end of the day, the other party will get to screen it, so they will actually bid at more reasonable prices."
So far, analysts said exclusive content rights have been a loss leader for SingTel, which is estimated to have paid as much as S$300 million for broadcast rights of the EPL matches.
Analysts also said that smaller firms may now have an opportunity to take a bite out of the pay-TV pie.
Companies like M1, or other new entrants, will have a lower barrier of entry, and could claim market share through inventive platform offerings. - CNA/vm
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