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

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Lee U-Wen

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

Johan Buse of StarHub says: "With our OTT strategy, it’s very simple - you pay X dollars a month, and you choose how many screens you want. Contract? There isn’t one. Why do I need a contract to lock people in? I believe my product is so great, you will stay with me." PHOTO: STARHUB
Newcastle United's players celebrating after their team's opening goal during the English Premier League football match with Arsenal at St James' Park on May 16. The league’s 20 teams play a total of 380 matches each season. PHOTO: AFP
Football fans enjoying an EPL live screening event in Clarke Quay in 2016. StarHub has confirmed that every single game will be screened “live” in HD quality across the company’s TV, mobile and broadband platforms. BT FILE PHOTO

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.

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