Singaporean telecommunications operator Singtel acquired rights for the 2012 English Community Shield pre-season football match for its IPTV pay-television service Mio TV.
The one-match deal was announced late on Friday, less than two days before the game between English Premier League champion Manchester City and FA Cup winner Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
The Channel News Asia website said that Singtel acquired the rights in a deal with MP & Silva after pan-Asian sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports failed to reach a deal with the agency. ESS had shown the annual game since 1996.
Goh Seow Eng, managing director of television for Singtel’s digital life division, said Singtel “worked hard” to secure the rights as the company recognised “how important this match is for Singapore fans”.
SingTel is entering the final year of a three-year deal, from 2010-11 to 2012-13, to broadcast the English Premier League.