Escalating costs of sports broadcast rights 'in no one's interest in the long term': Yaacob

Singapore

BROADCAST rights holders to major international sports events risk alienating Singapore consumers if they continue to drive up prices for such events, Minister for Communication and Information Yaacob Ibrahim told Parliament on Monday.

Dr Yaacob was responding to a question from Nominated MP Ganesh Rajaram, who asked for an update on the securing of broadcast rights for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and whether there was a danger of Singaporeans missing out on watching the Summer Games.

Dr Yaacob said that negotiations are ongoing and added: "It would be unwise to take the position that we should have live telecast regardless of the cost, and for the government to underwrite any amount demanded by the rights owners, particularly when the rights are still being negoti…