Football: Fans upset after missing out on live broadcast of some Champions League matches

Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella (centre) in action with SK Slavia Prague's Abdulla Yusuf Helal and Vladimir Coufal during their Champions League Group F match on Sept 17, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS

SINGAPORE - Chelsea and Barcelona were not the only teams that experienced hiccups when this season's Champions League kicked off Wednesday (Sept 18) morning.

Fans who stayed up to follow the action on television were surprised to discover that only two matches - Inter Milan v Slavia Prague and Napoli v Liverpool - were beamed live at 12.55am and 3am respectively on both Singtel and StarHub.

Six other group games, including tantalising clashes between Chelsea and Valencia, and Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, were not broadcast live.

As of Wednesday evening, only the Olympiakos v Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid games were scheduled to be broadcast live on Thursday morning by both service providers. This meant matches like Atletico Madrid v Juventus and those involving Bayern Munich and Manchester City were left out.

Football fans took to social media to vent their frustrations. Jude L. Arika posted on Singtel's Facebook page: "It's so frustrating being a fan, to not be able to watch your team's matches. And if I can't watch on Matchday 1, how can I hope to watch on Matchday 2 to 6?"

On StarHub's Facebook page, Advin Kwok wrote: "Last season at least 3 games... now shrink with same cost?"

A beIN Sports spokesman apologised for the situation and said that all parties are working on a solution to feature more Champions League matches for future matchdays.

She added: "We are truly sorry to hear their frustration. Champions League is offered on our partners' platforms on beIN Sports Max channel.

"Our partners have the option of taking the additional games that we are not able to include on our channel. We are working with them to ensure more games are being offered on their respective platforms from Matchday 2 onwards.

"In the meantime, fans can access all the games on our live streaming app - beIN Sports Connect."

Last September, following protracted negotiations, StarHub secured Champions League and Europa League broadcast rights from rights holders beIN for the rest of the season. Singtel followed suit soon after.

StarHub Home Product vice-president Yann Courqueux said: "We thank our customers for their feedback and understand their disappointment in not being able to catch some of the Uefa Champions League matches.

"In Singapore, coverage of the Champions League is a regional feed provided by our partner beIN Sports. We are working closely with them to bring more live matches to our customers in the coming weeks."

A Singtel spokesman added: "While beIN Sports holds the broadcast rights of the Uefa Champions League and Europa League in Singapore, and has sole discretion over which matches are shown live on the beIN Sports Max channel, we understand our customers' desire to be able to watch their favourite teams in action and are working with beIN Sports to bring back the concurrent matches (in the next matchdays)."

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