Eastern ready to shell out for live match broadcasts

Ambitious Eastern plan to broadcast all their home soccer matches in the new season even if they may have to bear a production cost of more than HK$1 million.

Club director Peter Leung Shou-chi said they wanted to further promote the team through the electronic media, which had a better audience rating.

"We will stage eight home matches in the league and even if the television station charges us HK$150,000 per match, we may still be able to offset it through income from ground advertisements and other commercial sponsorship, provided the broadcaster has a good audience rating," said Leung. His club have splashed out HK$20 million to mount a serious challenge in the inaugural Premier League.

Following the completion of a three-year deal with Now TV, the Hong Kong Football Association is unlikely to renew the contract as clubs have openly rejected the pay-TV station's HK$6 million cost for the new season.

The association has approached TVB, the free network, which has agreed to submit a proposal before the season kicks off with the Community Shield between league champions Kitchee and Senior Shield champions South China on August 31.

"As far as we understand, even when the matches were covered live on paid television, the ratings were very poor and that's why we want to change it back to the free network. We hope the association can work out a deal with TVB as soon as possible, so we can plan for our coverage," said Leung.

A TVB source said: "We are interested, but we have to convince our management it is worthwhile to help promote soccer in Hong Kong. If we are given the green light, we still have to decide how to charge the association, either as the host broadcaster or simply charge the clubs involved match by match. We have a much better audience rating and perhaps that's why the club wants us."