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When the EPL came knocking, it was an opportunity StarHub could not pass up

Johan Buse, chief of the telco’s consumer business group, talks about the partnership, the key issue of pricing, and what football fans here can look forward to over the next 6 years

Lee U-Wen

Published Sat, May 21, 2022 · 05:50 AM

Football

IT was towards the end of 2021 when top executives from the English Premier League (EPL) - the world’s most popular and most watched professional football league - came knocking on StarHub’s door.

They were on the lookout for a new exclusive broadcast partner in Singapore. A series of meetings soon took place and within weeks, a mega-deal was reached. In February this year, StarHub announced that it would be the official Premier League broadcaster here for the next 6 years, ending a 12-year streak by industry rivals Singtel.

One senior figure at StarHub who was integral to making this deal a reality is Johan Buse, the chief of the consumer business group and a big football fan himself. It came as a bit of a surprise when the Premier League reached out to the company with an opportunity to work together, and it was one that StarHub seized with both hands.