KUALA LUMPUR, 11 JANUARY 2017 – Astro Arena and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have entered into a broadcast rights agreement to bring comprehensive coverage of badminton exclusively on Astro SuperSport and Astro Arena channels on Astro TV and Astro on the Go.
Under the agreement, BAM has appointed Astro Arena as its exclusive broadcast rights partner in Malaysia and Brunei for all BAM badminton events from November 2016 till October 2021. Badminton fans can look forward to comprehensive live coverage of the 5 key events, namely Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold, National Championships, Malaysia Open Super Series, Malaysia International Junior Open and Malaysia International Challenge. Astro Arena will also have access to all BAM players and events to generate more sports content for Badminton fans in Astro Arena’s programmes such as Nadi Arena, Kafe Sukan and Kem Badminton highlights.
Tan Sri Mohd Al-Amin, acting President of BAM, said, “We are pleased to extend this partnership we have had with Astro Arena since 2010 and continue to take it to the next level with an exclusive broadcast rights agreement. Badminton is amongst the most loved sports in Malaysia and Astro’s investment in badminton will further expand its popularity and provide a platform for our players to be seen and become sports icons.
Ahmad Khawari Mohd Isa, Senior Assistant Vice President of Astro Arena said, “The 5-year broadcast agreement with BAM is approximately RM66 million, comprising cash investment, athlete incentives, production, promotion and airtime costs. This reflects Astro’s commitment in developing Badminton in Malaysia and to provide our athletes the support and coverage they truly deserve as they compete against the world’s best. We believe that there is a huge following for Badminton as seen in the record 6.5 million Malaysians who tuned into Astro for the Men’s Singles Semi Finals and Men’s Doubles Final during RIO 2016 Olympics.”
Astro Arena, Malaysia’s first local sports channel, was launched to provide comprehensive coverage on local sports and athletes. With Astro Arena’s production, broadcast and digital platforms, Astro has successfully partnered with national sports bodies to increase the viewership and popularity of many local sports including football, hockey, sepaktakraw, badminton, squash and many more. As the exclusive broadcast partner of BAM, Astro Arena is committed to deliver world-class badminton content utilising leading edge production technologies and maximising the reach of the content via our broadcasting and digital platforms.”
