Broadcast of World Cup qualifiers no longer viable - OFC

Oceania Football Confederation have advised that it will no longer be producing live broadcasts for Stage 3 World Cup qualifiers around the Pacific.

For New Zealand fans, Sky Television will broadcast the All Whites' three  home qualifiers begining Tuesday 11 September against Solomon Islands but away matches on September 7, October 12 and March 26 will have highlight packages only.

See below for the full media release from OFC.

OFC Media Release

September 2, 2012
 
AUCKLAND - OFC advised regional broadcasters and member associations last month that OFC TV, the confederation’s in-house production unit, would be producing live television broadcasts of the nine Stage 3 Oceania qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ taking place in New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Tahiti.

The inability of the regional broadcasters to produce these matches live in Solomon Islands and Tahiti and the failure to find a host broadcaster in New Caledonia meant that OFC TV would take on all aspects of the production and would need to send satellite equipment and personnel to all three countries at a cost of USD 180,000 for the nine matches (or USD 20,000 per match).

Television broadcasters from across the Pacific, as well as networks in Asia, were offered the rights through OFC’s international media partner MP & Silva but a lack of interest in the purchase of the rights meant OFC TV was facing a loss of USD 140,000 and it was therefore not economically viable to broadcast the nine matches. Accordingly, regional broadcasters and member associations were advised last week that OFC has regretfully had to cancel the live production.

OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas is disappointed that fans will not get the chance to witness much of the Stage 3 action on television but says OFC TV is a financial entity and cannot afford to sustain the large losses that broadcasting the matches would have incurred.

“Although networks in New Caledonia and Tahiti bought the rights, there was a lack of interest from television stations around the region,” Nicholas says. “We offer our sincere apologies to the fans in New Caledonia and Tahiti.”

“We have to operate financially and be prudent with our funds and OFC TV was facing a USD 140,000 loss in the live production. This does not make good business sense and it would have been irresponsible of us to proceed any further,” he says.

“We apologise for the situation but there are high costs involved and great difficulties logistically in the production of such matches with games played across four countries within a few days of each other.”

All broadcasters who bought the rights to Stage 3 will be fully reimbursed.

In addition, OFC TV will provide 10-minute highlights of all 12 matches at no cost.

New Zealand’s Sky TV will produce live broadcasts of each of the All Whites’ three home games and networks are welcome to contact Sky TV if they would like to receive these matches.

The first round of Stage 3 takes place on September 7 with Nations Cup champions Tahiti visiting the Solomon Islands and New Zealand travelling to New Caledonia in a repeat of the Nations Cup semi-finals.