Astro eyeing growth of sports subscribers as UEFA Euro 2020 begins

SUBANG JAYA: The UEFA Euro 2020 football tournament will soon dawn upon us as Astro Malaysia Bhd aims to grow its sports channel subscribers.

According to commercial director, Azlin Arshad sports subscribers currently make up a third of its total subscriber base.

And with the commencement of the European football tournament, Astro hopes to grow that number even further.

"We recognise there is a lot of competition out there, with so many choices or platforms that customers can access sports from.

"We don't have the customer base that we used to have for sports, but is it a number that we are happy with? Of course not. Is it a number that we hope to grow? Yes," Azlin said during the launch of the group's Best Euro 2020 Viewing Experience today.

The UEFA Euro 2020 tournament will commence after being postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Astro, as the official broadcaster of the football carnival, will bring all 51 matches live in 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD) through channels 871 and 872.

It is also anticipating a growth in sports package holders as the number of subscribers for its Ultra Box has increased, Azlin said.

"With the resumption of international sports tournaments worldwide, there has been a much aggressive rollout of the Ultra Box.

"With the Ultra Box's 4k capabilities, we are hoping to bring back more sports customers because this is where it is at.

"We have brought the future to Astro customers; we have brought the best experience for Astro customers with the Ultra Box," she added.

Meanwhile Astro Head of Sports Lee Choong Khay said, the group will be updating its sports offering as more sports meets take place this year.

He added the group is set to televise competitions such as the English Premier League and the Thomas Cup while the distribution rights for the Olympics this year is still in the works.

Euro 2020 will officially begin on June 12 with the opening match between Turkey and Italy at 3 am Malaysian time.