SingTel 'gravely disappointed' over StarHub gaining BPL broadcast rights

Will legal wars ensue?

According to OCBC, StarHub will be able to broadcast “live” matches of the much-coveted Barclays Premier League (BPL) for the upcoming 2013-2016 season.

This after the MDA (Media Development Authority) asked SingTel to cross-carry the matches over the next three seasons even though SingTel had earlier secured the rights on a non-exclusive basis.

Here's more from OCBC:

Understandably, SingTel said it was “gravely disappointed” with the decision, adding that “it disadvantages both consumers and the industry”.

SingTel has also said it intends to appeal the decision and seek legal recourse if necessary. The decision came as a bit of a surprise, given that SingTel had earlier secured the rights on a non-exclusive basis.

However, the MDA has ruled that the agreement between SingTel and FAPL (content owner) had restrictions that prevent other Pay TV retailers from offering the same content, thus triggering the cross-carriage ruling.

It is also unclear as to how FAPL would respond to the decision.

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