O? EST le ballon? In whichever language, that is the question tormenting every footie lover out there.
If you’re a Pay-TV viewer, you basically have two options: Nova Cyprus or LTV, now available on miVision, PrimeTel and AthenaSat.
Back in the days of yore, it used to be so simple: you got your football fix on LTV, whether you had an analogue decoder (LTV and Alfa only) or the NOVA digital package.
Then things went haywire. The Pay-TV market was shaken up when LTV and their platform administrators Multichoice, whose parent company is based in Greece, had a falling out.
Back in June, the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) ruled that the exclusive distribution of LTV’s content on the Multichoice (analogue) platform was illegal. The decision untied LTV’s hands, because it could now furnish its content to any network – analogue or digital.
It was LTV who had taken recourse to the CPC in the first place.
LTV was in talks with the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA) for placing its package on the latter’s miVision digital platform. However, the move was perceived as a breach of contract by Multichoice, and this jeopardised LTV’s mega deal with CyTA.
On July 7, without warning, LTV terminated its transmission on the Nova Cyprus platform, citing financial differences with Multichoice. LTV said this was caused by the “unreasonable refusal by Multichoice Hellas SA, owners of Nova Cyprus (the company’s satellite platform), to pay them fees due for the months of April and May.”
A few days earlier, Multichoice had added six Supersport channels and the Filmnet channel featuring movies to its Nova Platform at no extra charge.
LTV and Alfa were still available on the analogue Multichoice service, which has some 40,000 subscribers. Nova Cyprus has around 25,000 subscribers.
Multichoice retaliated, accusing LTV of irresponsible behaviour towards its customers. It released a statement that read: “LTV disconnected its signal at prime time, before the start of the Wimbledon match with Marcos Baghdatis and a few days before the European games of the Cypriot football teams.”
On July 12, CyTA’s miVision platform began transmitting LTV and Alfa.
In the following days, LTV executives urged Nova Cyprus subscribers to switch from their digital subscription to analogue, promising a rebate.
Even before the crisis broke out, Multichoice had offered its Nova Cyprus customers an incentive: trade in your analogue decoders for the digital decoder, and in return pay just £40 for the hardware – satellite dish and receiver.
According to Multichoice, this was part of a long-term drive to phase out analogue decoders.
But when the spat between the two former partners erupted, Multichoice scrapped the installation fee for new subscribers. Nova Cyprus customers now pay only the £27 monthly subscription fee. Point to Multichoice.
The problem is, those who took up the trade-in offer later found themselves between a rock and a hard place after LTV left the Nova package: no more football. Point to LTV, who still had the rights to Cypriot football and the Premier League.
In the meantime, Multichoice has got rid of the analogue decoders, so there’s no way you can get your box back. However, LTV says it is working on securing fresh supplies of the decoders.
Keep in mind, though, that picture quality is generally better with digital decoders than with the analogue ones.
The Mail has learned from independent sources that frustration has boiled over to such an extent that some furious consumers have even stormed LTV’s offices to protest about the situation. In at least one case, a man even resorted to physical violence.
Football crazy indeed. But extreme behavior aside, the argument that common folk are paying the price for the TV wars is not entirely unfounded.
For instance, the bids for broadcasting rights means that LTV subscribers will be able to watch Olympiakos FC home games, but not away games. Which is a bit like eating a hamburger with one bun.
To help make up your mind, the Mail has compiled a tentative list of the sport available to Pay-TV viewers in Cyprus. The information is valid at the time of writing, but keep checking back for updates.
LTV and Alfa (available on miVision, PrimeTel and AthenaSat): Premier League, FA Carling, FA Cup, Campionato, Bundesliga, European Championship qualifiers (including Greece games), selected UEFA Cup fixtures, Cypriot league, Olympiakos and Egaleo home games.
No details on Champions League coverage.
Nova Cyprus (available on Multichoice): Champions League, Primera Division, French league, Spanish and German cup games, Greek championship games and the Argentine league, the Euroleague (basketball), the ATP masters series and Wimbledon, World League Volley and the US Open Golf. Premier League deal possible.
Pricewatch:
PrimeTel: the PrimeHome package is offered at the price of £24.99 (normal price £29.99) per month. PrimeTel subscribers can add LTV and ALFA channels to their package for an additional £9.95 per month.
MiVision: For existing miVision customers, the extra cost to get the LTV/Alfa content will amount to £12 per month, while for new customers, the charge will be £10 for the package of miVision for those who subscribe to the i-choice DSL service and £17 per month for those who don’t have i-choice, plus £12 per month for the LTV/Alfa content.
LTV and Alpha (standalone analogue decoders) – £18.95 (without the adult zone).
Nova Cyprus: £26.75 per month (free installation).
