iCable won World Cup 2010

iCable won World Cup 2010's broadcast rights, leaving TVB and ATV "no broadcast at all". However, for the opening match, semi finals and the finals, iCable offered a 1 dollar nominal fee (token value) broadcast contract with the two stations TVB and ATV, but require the signals of the entire broadcast to be provided by iCable, including the soccer talk footage and advertisements. TVB and ATV made arrangements for high definition broadcast. Also, TVB plans to join the optional voice commentary channel, letting viewers choose.

Yesterday TVB confirmed that tomorrow morning during the semi-finals, they will add the optional voice commentary. TVB Foreign Affairs Director (Tsang Sing Ming) expressed that TVB is a responsible television station, they will definitely follow all the contract terms, allow the broadcast to be strictly on iCable's signals. The optional third channel is to improve the service and to the interest of viewers. Viewers are allowed to choose what to watch, it is still within the contract terms. As for iCable can interrupt the signals during the broadcast on TVB, TVB is completely passive about it. Tsang Sing Ming expressed that TVB is just trying to give more benefits to viewers and that justice is in the people's hearts.

iCable's World Cup Preparatory Manager (Tsang Jin Jeung) expressed that so far TVB has not discussed or requested adding the optional channel with iCable. Before iCable understood that some viewers may not have installed cable yet, so they decided to do the 1 dollar nominal fee broadcast contract with TVB & ATV. ATV already signed the contract, the terms required that they cannot change iCable's signals, needs to be a genuine broadcast. If there is a change, there will be an interruption in the broadcast. Mr. Tsang felt that if TVB has their own way of doing things (adding the third channel), then that is not respecting the contract terms. These are the little tricks that iCable will closely monitor. He said: "Can't watch on TVB, then there's always ATV."