In 2012, talkSPORT – which bills itself as the ‘world’s biggest sports radio station’ – bought exclusive global audio rights to all English Premier League football matches.
In subsequent deals lasting up to four seasons, the London-based broadcaster allows several broadcasters – many in Asia Pacific – to broadcast live match commentaries in their national and regional languages.
talkSPORT’s International Commercial Director, Kurt Edwards spoke to Asia Radio Today about their plans and challenges for the future.
1. How many countries in Asia have bought commentary rights from talkSPORT and how is it working?
In 2013/14 we had partners across Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and China across both broadcast and digital platforms. These partners include the likes of Astro Radio (Malaysia) and the Voice of Vietnam and the good news is that all of these partners are on board for 2014/15 as Manchester City seek to defend their Barclays Premier League title. We’ve been delighted with the uptake so far and the popularity shows no signs of waning, with radio emerging as a strong growth area for Barclays Premier League coverage.
2. Where else do you see opportunities and will we see new countries/stations sign up by the start of the new season?
We currently broadcast in 25 markets and 9 different languages globally and I’d be very surprised if we didn’t add additional Asian partners ahead of the 2014/15 season. For instance, we broadcast a number of matches on radio stations in key Indonesian cities during the climax of the 2013/14 season and will look to build on that in 2014/15.
3. In January you appointed TSA to distribute football rights in Asia? What is their role?
TSA have a great reputation in Asia having distributed rights for a number of the leading sports competitions in the region. They’ve been helping talkSPORT to identify the right broadcasters, media owners and telecom operators to work with in Asia as we continue to grow our presence.
4. How does the service work exactly (technology/commentaries/pundits)?
Our partners access exclusive coverage of the world’s leading football league, produced in our London International Broadcast Centre with live feeds from every Barclays Premier League stadium, and distributed in real-time via our international distribution network. Regardless of language, every live match commentary is anchored by commentators who have been extensively trained in the talkSPORT commentary style which emphasises raw excitement, expert insight and a fan’s perspective. It’s a winning combination, underpinned by talkSPORT’s credibility in sports broadcasting.
5. Working in so many different languages, with new cultures and with a range of regulatory environments must present challenges. What have been some of them and how have you overcome them?
Our teams have to be culturally sensitive depending on which market we are working in. For example, Arabic offers up many dialects and also Arabic commentary has to be more mindful of religious & cultural sensitivities. We work closely with all of our partners to ensure we marry our sports production expertise with the requirements of each market.
6. What’s the audience reaction? Are people still prepared to tune into radio for football commentaries?
The reaction from Asian football fans continues to be overwhelmingly positive. It’s served to reinforce our belief that sports programming remains an untapped opportunity for radio broadcasters across the region, offering a unique point of difference against competing stations. In the face of rapid technological change, radio continues to demonstrate its importance and value to listeners. Whilst other media such as TV are undoubtedly important to fans in following their teams, radio’s unique portability, ubiquity (including in locations such as the car) and free-to-air characteristics means that radio fulfils a need that other sports media simply cannot supply.