Supplementary programming surrounding the four free matches, including opening and closing ceremonies, offered on StarHub’s Preview Channel
Singapore, 2 June 2008 – StarHub, Singapore’s official broadcaster of the UEFA EURO 2008™, announced today that it will air four key UEFA EURO 2008™ matches ‘live’ and free-of-charge on its Preview Channel (Channel 01), to virtually all households in Singapore, regardless of whether they are subscribers of StarHub's cable TV services. These matches are the UEFA EURO 2008™ Opening Match, two Semi-Finals and the Final.
The highly-anticipated tournament is one of the world’s most-watched sports events, and will take place in Austria and Switzerland from 8 June to 30 June 2008.
Mr Adit Harinasuta, StarHub's Head of Services and Solutions said, “With the recent conclusion of the major football leagues, we believe that fans will greatly anticipate the upcoming UEFA EURO 2008™. By making the Opening Match, Semi-Finals and the Final available on StarHub’s Preview Channel, we hope to give all viewers in Singapore the opportunity to be captivated by spectacular moments on the field as the tournament draws to its climax!”
Free UEFA EURO 2008™ Matches ‘Live’ On StarHub’s Preview Channel
Match | Date | Day | SIN Time | Match Fixtures |
Opening Match | 08-Jun | Sun | 12:00 AM | Gp A: Switzerland vs Czech Republic |
Semi-Final 1 | 26-Jun | Thu | 2:45 AM | SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2 |
Semi-Final 2 | 27-Jun | Fri | 2:45 AM | SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4 |
Final | 30-Jun | Mon | 2:45 AM | Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 |
Existing subscribers of StarHub Digital Cable can enjoy Preview Channel on Channel 01, while others can tune their TV sets manually to UHF frequency 527.25 Mhz. The manual tuning-in procedures will vary according to different TV set models, and viewers are advised to refer to their TV operating manuals for specific tuning-in instructions.
The generic tuning-in procedures are:
Viewers can call the public hotline at 6873-2828 for technical clarifications. For updated telecast schedules of the event, they may refer to the On-screen TV Guide or StarHub’s UEFA EURO 2008™ Online Programme Guide.
“STARHUB UEFA EURO 2008™ Season Pass” Offers Immersive UEFA EURO 2008™ Experience
Four dedicated StarHub UEFA EURO 2008™ cable TV channels
StarHub will offer all UEFA EURO 2008™ matches ‘live’ across all three of its platforms - cable TV, mobile and online, and make available the entire tournament in high-definition. Viewers in Singapore can catch all the spectacular UEFA EURO 2008™ action with the “STARHUB UEFA EURO 2008™ Season Pass”, available for a one-off fee of $20 ($21.40 with GST) for Sports Group customers, and $50 ($53.50 with GST) for non-Sports Group customers.
The “STARHUB UEFA EURO 2008™ Season Pass” offers full coverage of the games on four StarHub Digital Cable channels [1] , and on all three of StarHub’s platforms.
The four StarHub UEFA EURO 2008™ cable TV channels include:
StarHub Premium will telecast the main feed for the event. All matches, with the exception of four simulcast Group Stage matches, will be aired ‘live’ on this channel. The channel will also air primetime repeats of the games and daily highlights.
StarHub HD is accessible via StarHub’s HD set-top box and a HD-ready TV set, and will telecast all matches ‘live’ in high-definition quality, with the exception of four simulcast Group Stage matches. The channel will also air primetime repeats of the games in high-definition.
StarHub Tactical will telecast a bird’s-eye view of the pitch during ‘live’ matches, allowing audiences to analyse the tactical strategy of the teams.
StarHub Highlights will telecast replays of key moments from the matches, so that fans who have just tuned in will not miss any of the exciting soccer action.
Simulcast UEFA EURO 2008™ Group Stage matches ‘live’ on SuperSports
Four simulcast UEFA EURO 2008™ Group Stage matches will be aired ‘live’ on SuperSports (Channel 22), and made available to all customers of StarHub Digital Cable’s Sports Group. The matches will be replayed on the UEFA EURO 2008™ channels. The telecast schedule for UEFA EURO 2008™ on StarHub channels is summarised in Appendix 1.
UEFA EURO 2008™ enhanced TV (eTV) service
In addition, StarHub will also offer a special UEFA EURO 2008™ enhanced TV (eTV) service to customers using the HubStation, digital or HD set-top box. Users of the service can access multi-camera views of the matches, along with a bundle of exciting UEFA EURO 2008™ content with a few clicks of their remote control.
‘Live’ telecast of UEFA EURO 2008™ matches over computers and mobile phones at no additional cost
StarHub MaxOnline broadband customers and Mobile post-paid customers with the Season Pass will be able to enjoy the ‘live’ telecast of UEFA EURO 2008™ matches over their computers and mobile phones at no additional cost.
MaxOnline customers simply need to visit StarHub's website to access the ‘live’ feed of the games on their computers, while StarHub Mobile post-paid customers with any 3G or 3.5G (i.e. HSPA-capable) handset can view a ‘live’ stream of StarHub Premium, with 27 ‘live’ and four delayed UEFA EURO 2008™ matches, via a dedicated UEFA EURO 2008™ portal, accessible through StarHub’s Gee! portal. Mobile customers with the Season Pass may opt in for the service by sending an email to activate the service or by calling 1633.
The 'live' stream of StarHub Premium will also be carried via StarHub’s MaxMobile mobile broadband service, delivered over a High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network. Called EURO on MaxMobile, this value-added service will be offered at no extra cost only to customers with the Season Pass. To enjoy EURO on MaxMobile, customers need a MaxMobile Ultimate data subscription in order to access the 'live' feed of the games via the dedicated microsite from their notebook computers, wherever, whenever a game is played.
Existing StarHub Digital Cable customers can call 1633 to purchase the “STARHUB UEFA EURO 2008™ Season Pass”, while new customers who wish to subscribe to StarHub Digital Cable can call 1630.
Expert Commentary For StarHub’s Telecast Of UEFA EURO 2008™ Matches
StarHub will provide English commentary for all 31 UEFA EURO 2008™ matches. The following experienced commentators have been selected by UEFA to provide the commentary:
UEFA EURO 2008™ Supplementary Programmes To Complement ‘Live’ Telecast Of Matches
In addition to the ‘live’ matches, StarHub will air ‘live’ preview and review programmes produced by UEFA, a Highlights Show every morning after each match-day, and a preview programme - “Carlsberg Euro 2008™ Preview”, at 10pm every match-day. The Highlights Show and “Carlsberg Euro 2008™ Preview” are produced by SPORTFIVE, Europe's leading sports rights marketing company.
“Carlsberg Euro 2008™ Preview” will feature match and tactical analysis by presenter Mark Richmond and his panel of football experts, as well as lighthearted Euro-centric content including roving reports, football trivia and football challenges, as well as short snippets on a fan’s experience at the UEFA EURO 2008™.
StarHub will air the UEFA EURO 2008™ Opening Ceremony ‘live’ at 11.30pm on 7 June 2008, prior to the kick-off of the Opening Match, and the Closing Ceremony at 2.25am on 30 June 2008, prior to the Final.
The 13-minute Opening Ceremony will see 1,000 performers drawing on the unique cultural heritage of the two host countries, Austria and Switzerland, as they open their arms to the world of football.
The Closing Ceremony will be held just before the Final kicks off and will last about ten minutes. In contrast to the Opening Ceremony, the focus will be on football and the 16 participating nations. The official tournament song will be performed ‘live’ as fans look back on the tournament’s highs and lows.
Both the opening and closing ceremonies were put together by French event agency Auditoire, whose artistic director, Martin Arnaud, staged the opening ceremony for the 1998 FIFA World Cup as well as the opening and closing of the Paralympics in 2004.
All supplementary programming will be aired on UEFA EURO 2008™ StarHub Premium (Channel 30), and supplementary programming surrounding the Opening Match, two Semi-Finals and the Final, including the opening and closing ceremonies, will also be carried on StarHub’s Preview Channel (Channel 01).
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[1] Due to limited capacity on the analogue platform, StarHub Digital Cable customers with the analogue set-top box will only be able to receive one UEFA EURO 2008™ channel, “UEFA EURO 2008™ StarHub Premium (Channel 30)”, which airs the main feed for the tournament. Cable TV customers with the digital set-top box or HubStation will be able to receive three UEFA EURO 2008™ channels, while cable TV customers with the HD set-top box will be able to enjoy all four UEFA EURO 2008™ channels.
