PBS to broadcast World Cup matches

National television station Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) yesterday announced it has won the rights to show live World Cup matches in South Africa next summer.

Thanks to PBS, local football followers will be able to watch 46 of the month-long tournament's 64 matches free-to-air, including all four quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final on July 11.

In a conference call in Guardamanġia, Clare Thake Vassallo, chairman at PBS, expressed her satisfaction at having reached such an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

"Negotiations for the rights of such big-scale events are no easy task from all aspects," she said.

"But thanks to the Operations Council, small nations like Malta can still secure deals which suit limited budgets. A deal for Euro 2012, to be played in the Ukraine and Poland, is also in the offing."

The Operations Council, headed by PBS chief executive Albert Debono, represents nations in the EBU with a population of less than a million and gives small countries the opportunity to get better deals not only for sport but also for cultural events.

According to the deal, PBS will be transmitting more matches than other better-quoted media houses outside our shores.

"This time round Maltese sport lovers will be able to watch World Cup matches on their own national television channel without having to pay any added expenses," Dr Thake Vassallo said.

"We want to provide the best service possible to our clients. During the tournament, there will also be live commentaries in Maltese."

Debono explained that the World Cup, which gets underway on June 11, ranks high in popularity with the Maltese even among those who do not follow the sport regularly.

"The interest that a World Cup generates is not limited to football fans only. We all know that the finals generate a lot of viewership in our country," Debono said.

Most of the matches will be shown on TVM with some others on channel Education 22.