SRG must cut back on sport
A dedicated sports channel as a pay-TV offering is not on the table at all for the SRG at this time. That's what SRG Sports Director Urs Leutert said in an interview.
At the moment, SRG is not at all interested in launching its own sports channel as a pay-TV service. This was stated by SRG Head of Sport Urs Leutert in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger. Two days before the World Cup kicks off, he provides information about future plans in the face of rising costs and increasing competition. SRG's basic sports offering will be reduced. On national TV, viewers will continue to see summaries of all goals and matches, while the most attractive games will be broadcast live, Leutert continued. In ice hockey, however, the red pencil is being applied: The package will be reduced, especially in the playoffs. "Consumers who want the SRG broadcasters' current program will have to add other providers and pay extra for it," the head of sport told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. The exploding prices for sports rights are a particular concern for SRG in football, but "normality and common sense" have returned in other areas. It is still conceivable that SRG will forego the Champions League or Euro 2008 in its own country; with regard to Euro 2008, SRG is still "in intensive negotiations" with Uefa. Rising rights costs are to be offset by savings in production. According to Leutert, sponsorship income only makes up a small part of the refinancing in the single-digit percentage range.
Leutert went on to explain that the merging of media means that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between traditional channels. In future, a distinction would have to be made between "free" and "pay" as well as "linear" and "on demand". SF should cover the "free" part; what has to be paid for will in future be covered by other channels in Swiss football. In the "on demand" area, the current offering will be maintained. This means that it will still be possible to watch SF sports programs on the Internet.
Leutert went on to explain that the merging of media means that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between traditional channels. In future, a distinction would have to be made between "free" and "pay" as well as "linear" and "on demand". SF should cover the "free" part; what has to be paid for will in future be covered by other channels in Swiss football. In the "on demand" area, the current offering will be maintained. This means that it will still be possible to watch SF sports programs on the Internet.
