Singtel, StarHub and Mediacorp collaborate for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Singtel, StarHub and Mediacorp has collaborated for the first time in a bid to bring football fans in Singapore closer to the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. All three broadcasters will be offering comprehensive live coverage of all 64 matches of the football event through platforms such as Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV, StarHub Go, and Mediacorp’s Toggle.Nine key matches will also be aired on television free this year, five more than the previous years. In addition, special programmes will be produced for all three broadcasters to capture the highlights, and deliver insights and commentary about the games, Tham Loke Kheng, CEO of Mediacorp said.According to Yuen Kuan Moon, chief executive officer, consumer Singapore at Singtel, the telco has been bringing the FIFA World Cup to its viewers since 2010, and thus it knows the importance of the tournament to Singaporeans."We are pleased this year to work with our broadcast partners to give all Singaporeans front row seats to the Cup. Football is for everyone and we are excited to bring the drama and suspense of all 64 games to viewers via Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO and our CAST app,” he said."Football unites people and nothing proves this more than the FIFA World Cup. With match day one quickly approaching, we are happy to put public interest first and take to the field together with Singtel and Mediacorp to enable all of Singapore to enjoy the beautiful game," Tan Tong Hai, CEO of StarHub added.In 2014, Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel)  secured the rights to bring the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil to all television and mobile screens in Singapore. However, the way SingTel plans to charge customers has left it open to criticism.Meanwhile, FIFA is facing a challenge in bringing onboard sponsors for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, despite the event being two months away. This is due to the fact that fewer companies have signed sponsorship deals, compared to the same period before the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil, CNBC reported. While FIFA has managed to retain its long term partners including Coca-Cola, Hyundai-Kia Motors, Visa and Adidas, the number of new “partner” at this point are only Russian state oil giant Gazprom, Qatar Airways and Wanda Group.Sponsors are separated into three groups – FIFA partners, FIFA World Cup sponsors and regional supporters. FIFA partners have the highest level of association with FIFA and all its events, as well as play a wider role in supporting the development of football worldwide.