Last month it emerged that as little as 20,000 households had signed up for WinTV’s EPL coverage since the channel secured the rights for US$50 million last year. The figures are well short of the station’s projections of 1.2 million and a fraction of the 10 million who used to tune in to the league through its previous deal with ESPN that was carried in China through CCTV5 and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) channels.
Currently WinTV is carried in just five provinces - of which Beijing is the most recent addition - and is still unavailable in key cities such as Shanghai.
To some, the station’s woes point to the difficulties facing pay-TV in China. “The average urban consumer in a big city might have up to 50 channels available free of charge and the question is: what content is of such a premium nature that people will be prepared to pay for it? And what we are seeing is English football is not such a product,” says Rowan Simons, chairman of mainland soccer developers, China Club Football and the author of Bamboo Goalposts.
Mark Thompson of Shanghai-based sports consultancy S2M Group, disagrees: “They’ve got a great product, but basically it takes time to build up things in China and you have to enter the market with realistic expectations - and I don’t think WinTV did.”
Along with winning the Premiership rights from CCTV and SMG, the Guangdong broadcaster found itself with two powerful foes who would do everything they could to limit its market penetration.
“I can’t see WinTV making it happen,” says Thompson, suggesting it cooperates with one of the giants to smooth things over. “Without TV there is no value. Key to any China strategy is getting your TV platform. And the Premier League have failed to do that.”
“The Chinese Government still controls access to the media, which makes it very difficult for a smaller set up like WinTV to even get started,” continues Thompson. “Also, the likes of CCTV and SMG do not like young pretenders like WinTV and they can limit access and licences, making it very difficult .”
Sponsors are unwilling to discuss the issue in too much detail. “Sponsoring global sports properties like Manchester United and the EPL helps differentiate Budweiser from other beer brands in China,” says Rex Wong, VP of marketing for Anheuser-Busch, which places Chinese language signage at EPL grounds. Wong refuses to comment on how the brewer feels now that very few Chinese people are watching the league and seeing their advertising.
Manchester United spokesman Phil Townsend echoes the club line on the situation, saying, “it is a matter for the Premier League”. An EPL spokerperson, meanwhile, pointed out that “we’re only six months into a three-year contract. If subscriptions grow, current concerns will be alleviated.” At the moment, that remains a very big if.
To some, the station’s woes point to the difficulties facing pay-TV in China. “The average urban consumer in a big city might have up to 50 channels available free of charge and the question is: what content is of such a premium nature that people will be prepared to pay for it? And what we are seeing is English football is not such a product,” says Rowan Simons, chairman of mainland soccer developers, China Club Football and the author of Bamboo Goalposts.
Mark Thompson of Shanghai-based sports consultancy S2M Group, disagrees: “They’ve got a great product, but basically it takes time to build up things in China and you have to enter the market with realistic expectations - and I don’t think WinTV did.”
Along with winning the Premiership rights from CCTV and SMG, the Guangdong broadcaster found itself with two powerful foes who would do everything they could to limit its market penetration.
“I can’t see WinTV making it happen,” says Thompson, suggesting it cooperates with one of the giants to smooth things over. “Without TV there is no value. Key to any China strategy is getting your TV platform. And the Premier League have failed to do that.”
“The Chinese Government still controls access to the media, which makes it very difficult for a smaller set up like WinTV to even get started,” continues Thompson. “Also, the likes of CCTV and SMG do not like young pretenders like WinTV and they can limit access and licences, making it very difficult .”
Sponsors are unwilling to discuss the issue in too much detail. “Sponsoring global sports properties like Manchester United and the EPL helps differentiate Budweiser from other beer brands in China,” says Rex Wong, VP of marketing for Anheuser-Busch, which places Chinese language signage at EPL grounds. Wong refuses to comment on how the brewer feels now that very few Chinese people are watching the league and seeing their advertising.
Manchester United spokesman Phil Townsend echoes the club line on the situation, saying, “it is a matter for the Premier League”. An EPL spokerperson, meanwhile, pointed out that “we’re only six months into a three-year contract. If subscriptions grow, current concerns will be alleviated.” At the moment, that remains a very big if.
