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LET THEM EAT TERMIS
It was a grave “human rights” violation and the head of the state-run Nile Sport Channel was urging the United Nations to intervene. But to no avail. On the eve of the World Cup, Egyptians were shocked to discover that Arab Radio & Television (ART) satellite channel network owned the exclusive World Cup broadcast rights for the entire region and that the tournament’s matches would not be shown on free terrestrial television, or most other satellite networks for that matter. Millions of diehard Egyptian football fans would have to buy an ART subscription – at an inflated price well beyond the budget of most Egyptians – if they intended to watch the matches at home with their families.
Saudi-owned ART paid $100 million to secure exclusive broadcast rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for World Cup tournaments from 2002 to 2014. With a monopoly on the coverage, the private network hiked its subscription rates to recover costs or, claim some, gouge viewers. Existing subscribers had to pay a premium of up to £E 700 for access to World Cup channels, while new subscribers had to shell out anywhere from £E 900 to £E 1,120 to see the matches.
The only alternative for home viewing was to buy a satellite dish powerful enough to tap into German television feeds on European satellite networks. Improvised satellite dish setups simply wouldn’t cut it. So in June the streets of Cairo were crammed full of black-and-white taxis with giant satellite dishes strapped to their roofs.
The government tried to appease irate football fans. Its initial attempt to strike a deal for broadcast privileges failed after ART reportedly demanded d18 million for a terrestrial feed. Instead, it settled on a deal to broadcast daily highlights. Perhaps out of fears for national security, the National Democratic Party also decided to erect ART-equipped big screens in public squares.
But not everyone was miffed by the deal. Business was brisk at hotels and cafés that paid the ART subscription fee and broadcast the matches on their big screen TVs. The zealous fans that came to watch, many decked up in garish World Cup fan gear, almost forgot the inflated food, drink and shisha prices they were paying for the privilege.
ART sealed its 12-year exclusive regional broadcast deal back in 2002, which begs the question: did the government forget there would be a World Cup?
CAM MCGRATH
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