CABLE TV today announced a new channel line up following the conclusion of an agreement with STAR to carry some of its channels on its pay television service.

Under the agreement, CABLE TV will carry ESPN (on Channel No 7) and STAR Sports (on Channel No 5) on its basic package beginning from August 17. On the same day, STAR Movies will be carried on Channel No 43 as a premium channel. The agreement also renews CABLE TV’s carriage of National Geographic Channel.

ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) is Asia’s leading sports broadcaster and the deal would enable CABLE TV to continue carrying the popular English Premier League, which ESS holds distribution rights in the region, on its platform when the new season starts later this month. There will be five live English Premier League matches carried between ESPN and STAR Sports each week with a total of 165 matches a season. The live broadcast will not be made available to local free-to-all terrestrial television under the agreement.

Following the agreement, CABLE TV has bagged all major European Leagues, including English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, Spanish Primera Liga, Italian Serie A, on top of the wide variety of other sports programmes including the golf majors, the Major League Baseball, National Football League, NBA, Grand Slam Tennis, on its platform.

"The deal is good news to local viewers, particularly for sports fans. With the addition ESPN and STAR Sports, CABLE TV will offer the widest possible array of sports programming on Hong Kong television. National Geographic is already a very popular channel and STAR Movies will further enhance our already strong movie offerings," said Mr Eric Lo, Vice President, Cable Subscription Services, of CABLE TV.

The new line up will increase CABLE TV’s sports channels from two to three. Its own produced CABLE Sports Channel will merge with Sports 2, offering live and highlight coverage of Italian and German League matches as well as other major sporting events such as live Golf majors and Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

The revamp will also see enhancement of the Entertainment Channel. Music and youth oriented programmes formerly carried on YMC will continue to be featured during daytime, building up greater momentum for the already popular Entertainment Channel to further widen its appeal.

HONG KONG CABLE TELEVISION
Channel Numbering Plan
(From August 17, 2001)