Football enthusiasts prefer to watch football matches on television, if not on the ground.
World Cup this year is going to start in Qatar in the coming month. Preparations are underway to broadcast FIFA matches on Nepali television. Nepali television channels had broadcast live FIFA matches in the past, too.
It is certain that the broadcasting of FIFA matches this year is going to be dearer. FIFA has introduced new rules this time, according to which, the broadcasters have to subscribe and the consumers have to pay an additional fee to watch the matches.
Media Hub Pvt. Ltd., has obtained a license for broadcasting the upcoming World Cup this time. Hence, this company reserves the right to select and permit television channels for broadcasting FIFA matches.
The company is mulling to pick either two television channels or only one channel, said the company.
Media Hub has said that it has spent Rs 400 million to get the license so far. Since the money will not come through advertisements, it is preparing to charge money from television clients.
Discussions are underway between Media Hub and cable entrepreneurs regarding the fee to be charged.
Som Dhital, executive director of Media Hub, informed that there has been a discussion about taking an additional fee of Rs 599 from the client. He said that this decision will be taken in a few days.
He said, "It has been discussed that an additional fee of Rs 599 per setup box will be taken from the customer." Cable entrepreneurs and other television networks have agreed to that, already.
According to the company, Rs 120 million rupees will come through advertisements in Nepal and the remaining amount will be collected from the television clients and the net system.
Now television consumers will have to pay more fees than they are paying curretnly. The cable channels will demand an additional 600 rupees from the consumer.
The channel will be shut down during the World Cup if the additional fee is not paid. Cable entrepreneurs will collect money from consumers as per the setup box, said the company.
Media Hub has said that it is going to make arrangements so that people can watch the World Cup from Ncell and NTC OTT as well. For that, Media Hub will choose one out of Ncell or NTC. The company has already started discussions to this effect.
Now Nepal's Himalayan Television and Kantipur Television are preparing to broadcast the World Cup. But a decision has not been made whether to broadcast on both these televisions or to pick one of them.
