'SCTV', 'TPI' unveil Serie A live package

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

SCTV and TPI are set to go head to head against each other to lure soccer viewers when they both commence their live broadcasts of Italian soccer's Serie A, or A League, matches on Sept. 15.

The two private television channels separately announced their Serie A packages, but failed to disclose their respective values

The Serie A competition, which involves 18 clubs, will last for 34 weeks and consist of a total of 136 matches.

Both SCTV, which has committed itself to a three-year deal, and TPI, which has a one-year deal, have each secured the rights to screen 68 matches this season, which means there will be two matches on each channel per week.

The matches will be screened every Sunday at 1.30 a.m. on SCTV; and at 8.30 p.m. on both SCTV and TPI (2 different matches), and on Mondays at 1.00 a.m on TPI (all Jakarta times).

SCTV will broadcast the opening match, between newly promoted Modena and star-studded AC Milan, on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 1.30 a.m. Jakarta time.

Serie A matches used to be associated with RCTI, another local channel, which had been airing them for 12 years before shifting to the German Bundesliga.

And it appears that both SCTV and TPI will be archrivals in attempting to woo viewers.

"This is a challenge for SCTV, how to get rid of the image of the previous stations," production manager Ronny Kusuma told a press conference in Bilbo Cafe here on Thursday.

Ronny, himself a former RCTI presenter, said that SCTV had arranged a host of entertainment programs to offer the viewers.

Earlier, in the Front Row Cafe, Agus Syafrudin from TPI said that they had also prepared various supporting programs to cushion their Serie A matches.

"It will in the end be up to the viewers to decide which presentation is the more attractive. But there's one thing for sure, TPI will be going all out to entertain soccer fans," he said.

Meanwhile, despite its 12-year association with the Serie A, RCTI forwent the possibility of screening the matches this season, saying that at US$3.2 million the price asked was too much.

However, PT Platinum Media Distribusi, the local distributor of Serie A rights, rejected this.