Singapore appears set to be without live coverage of the upcoming 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after the city-state’s government claimed the broadcast rights for the multi-sport showpiece have become too expensive.
Singaporean media company MediaCorp last month agreed a rights deal with the Dentsu agency for highlights coverage of the Games. The Straits Times newspaper reported at the time that Dentsu was in talks to agree a live rights deal, with pay-television operators SingTel and StarHub said to have been interested.
The Singaporean government has in the past stepped in to provide last-minute funding to broadcasters to ensure live coverage of the Games in the territory. However, a spokesperson for Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has now told the Straits Times that no such deal will be struck.
“The government notes that prices for 'live' sports content of major Games like the Olympics have been escalating in recent years; it has reached the point where we have assessed to be neither prudent nor value-for-money to spend more and more on escalating rights fees,” the spokesperson said.
“Hence, the acquisition of rights for live sports content will remain a commercial decision. Singaporeans will be able to catch highlights of Team Singapore and other international athletes in action at the Olympics through free-to-air television programming.”
MediaCorp will broadcast at least 10 hours of delayed action each day, as well as news programmes and highlights packages. According to the Straits Times, only the opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast live.
It is believed that Rio 2016 will mark the first edition of the Games not to have been broadcast live in Singapore since the 1984 event in Los Angeles. Twenty-five athletes will make up the Singaporean team at Rio 2016, which takes place from August 5-21.