Melita announces new sports offer
Melita said today it had launching a new sports content structure to provide the majority of its sports programming, previously part of its premium sports package, at no additional cost to most subscribers.
As from August, Melita Sports channels will be included in Melita's TV L and XL packages.
All Melita Large TV subscribers will benefit from free access to events such as Malta's BOV Premier League, Malta football international games, Malta Rugby, Waterpolo, Boxing and a new in-house production with daily sports news.
Melita XL customers will have free access to the same sports plus international football from the Spanish Liga, the Bundesliga, the Carling Cup and the Brazilian League amongst many others on two dedicated channels. XL subscribers will also get free access to a mixed sports channel, including events such as the WWE, NBA, TNA Wrestling and Red Bull events.
Sports events will also be broadcast in high definition and will be made available as part of the standard package to all those subscribed to the Melita Netbox HD.
In addition, Melita announced the launch of a new package of nine Premium Channels dedicated to top football leagues covering all UEFA Champions League games, UEFA Europa League games, Copa Libertadores, and highlights from other top leagues. The new football package will be offered from as little as €9.99 a month with free HD access to the broadcast of Champions league games and other international football matches on Melita Sports HD (High Definition) for all customers enjoying a Melita Netbox.
As an Early Bird offer, the Premium Package is being offered for only €9.99 a month for all those subscribers who register by the 30th September 2010 and committing to a year of service. Thereafter, the price for the Premium Package will remain at €9.99/month for L and XL TV subscribers and €12.99 for M subscribers, or all those opting for a month on month service.
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Mark Farrugia
Jun 17th 2010, 11:44
biex nara l-inter fil-league u fic-champions league... ha tigini madwar 60 euro fix-xahar !! (40 euro mal-go... u xi 18 euros mal-cable) ... mela hasbuna nsibuhom barra il-flus jew ??? serq fil-wicc... kemm mil-go u kemm mil-cable
TAL-MISTHIJA !!!!!!!!
alfred miller
Jun 17th 2010, 10:03
Ghandek/kom France 2 fuq Melita? Jekk iva ma nafx jekk indunajtux... dan l'istazzjon qed jaghti loghob dirett tal World Cup anke meta shabna tal Melita u TVM jiddeciedu li ma jaghtux il loghba diretta fuq TVM. Pero jista xi hadd jghidli ghalfejn dan l istazzjon franciz jigi maqtuh biex ma narawx il loghba. Nahseb li tal Melita qed jaghmlu dan... ahna ta xiex qed inhallsu allura, x jigifieri taqta loghba? spjegazzjoni li tikkonvincini pls minn xihadd... Grazzi
Mark Galea
Jun 17th 2010, 12:43
@alfred miller
jien bhalek nirraguna, pero Melita (partnered with PBS) have the rights for the World Cup. So legally they have right to do so and they can request that on the territory of Malta a particular channel can be blocked during the game. Those are called sports rights, and they are made in such a way as to reap maximum revenue, irrespective of what the consumers want.
Nicholas Diacono
Jun 17th 2010, 09:14
So a week passes and the day before I decided to call them to make sure that they were coming, after more than half an hour waiting for someone to answer, surprise surprise, the woman told me that there is no appointmnent yet again, When I told her to speak to the person who made the appointment and I gave her his name, the answer was that he was not there and that all she could do was Bla bla bla all again. This time round I simply laughed in disbelieve and told her that if this is how they deal with all their clients and I have Internet, TV , telephone and mobile with them Melita does not have a long life in Malta.
The excuse this time was that they ran out of HD boxes, in the end they finally came three weeks after the original appointment and on a Sunday morning at around 8.30am.
This is a shamefull situation and someone responsible at Melita really needs to look into these issues, this is not the way to do business and to treat your clients.
Nicholas Diacono
Jun 17th 2010, 09:13
Who do they think they are kidding, it has now become a joke as far as the sports channles go. As for customer care what I passed through was totally unbelievable, they called me to confirm an appointment to install the hd box the following day, in the afternoon I callled them to check at what time and they gave me a time. The next morning I callled again just to make sure and the person who answered said that I did not have an appointment, I told him that they called me, gave him the number from where they called and he simply said " you do not have an appointment and the only thing I can do is fix another appointment for the next week"
I asked to speak to a manager and he said NO, there are no managers, there is only a supervisor, so i asked to speak to him\her, again NO you can only speak to me. Anyway to cut a long story short I got nowhere with this and had to settle for another appointment.
Thomas Sant
Jun 17th 2010, 08:56
Darren, I think it would be best to speak to you directly since you know so much about Melita offers. Might you be in for a commission??
darren muscat
Jun 17th 2010, 03:29
@Chris Agius
Before reading between the lines Chris, I think you'd better know the facts. The premium sports channel is available on the medium package as well as the large and xl packages also, it is 'go' that makes it mandatory to have the silver or gold package with sports.
Basically what melita is going, is adding some channels free of charge for all large and xl subscribers, for those who cannot afford to have the premium service.
You got the new packages all wrong, totally messed it up, I'll guess you'd better go talk to a representative or a reseller.
Chris Agius
Jun 17th 2010, 17:50
Darren, and before you try to ridicule someone else it would have been better to understand what is written in PLAIN ENGLISH. I know Premium Package is avaliable on Medium package BUT according to the press release the premium package will ONLY SHOW CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND EUROPA LEAGUE (plus Libertadores) LIVE -the rest will be JUST HIGHLIGHTS.
If you want to see the Maltese League live (and italian club channels) you need the L package, if you want to see La Liga, Bundesliga and Carling Cup LIVE (plus the other sports which last year was on sports package) you MUST have the XL package.
So with your suggestion to have the M and Premium Package you will simply have the Champions League and Europa League..... NO LIGA, NBA, BUNDESLIGA, WWE, etc.
So yes, comparing with the past year, if someone wants to watch all that was available on this year`s sport package he will need the XL AND PREMIUM with practically the same price as last year but no SerieA & Premier.
GO force you to take silver+ for the sports? Well, did Melita do up till last month? No Sports with entry package!
J.Duca
Jun 16th 2010, 20:05
They never really cared about their sports customers. First they lost MUTV, then Chelsea TV, and we kept paying the same rates, because in Malta there is no competition. Now they lost the PL and the Serie A and pretend than nothing has happened. Melita ghidu APPA ghax il-habel skappa.
Alfred Rizzo
Jun 16th 2010, 18:40
Why does the offer start in August and not immediately , to allow customers to view World Cup games not being shown by Rai?!!
Chris Agius
Jun 16th 2010, 18:34
I think you have to read between the lines in this "offer".
With the "L" at €19.99 per month you practically get the Maltese League only
With the Premium Package at an extra €9.99 you get Champions League, Europa League, Libertadores and JUST HIGLIGHTS of the other leagues.
The only way to see La Liga and Budesliga LIVE is hence through the XL Package at €29.99.
So, those who up till today had the "L" package (mandatory for sports) by paying the €23 more per months for sports had Serie A, Prem, Champ Lge, Europa Lge, Maltese premier, Liga, Bundgesliga and all other sports.
Now those same subscribers to be able to watch the Ch. Lge, Europa Lge, Malta Premier, La Liga and Bundesliga will have to pay €.9.99 for the Premium package and the €10 upgrade to XL .... €20 extra on the "L" package.
This means that the loss of Serie A and English Premier only results in a €3 discount on what was being paid before because the Liga, Bundesliga, Carling Cup, NBA, WWE, etc are only available via the XL package!!
Will people learn to read between the lines?
frank grech
Jun 16th 2010, 18:32
The usual blah blah blah by Melita! Parole si fatti no! How about launching a real customer service desk instead of this horror story!!!???
George Spiteri
Jun 16th 2010, 17:31
All football enthusiasts reason that Melita without the Premiership and Serie A games is just not worth keeping. That was what was keeping Melita subscriptions afloat and now they're bound to lose thousands of customers. The new free sports packages , HD TV and the many additional channels (mostly Italian junk stations) will not bring your sports customers back. Sports enthusiast just want to see the weekly Premiership and Serie A football games.
clive borg
Jun 16th 2010, 17:24
if i'm not mistaken last year was already 9.99 euros but we could watch the premiership and seria A.
Without the premiership you can make it for free... now most of the people have changed to watch the premiership!
jake farrugia
Jun 16th 2010, 15:12
Actually now it may be feaislbe to keep both. having both go and melita cable - ideally everything is in one - but now at 9.99 sports i can keep both. Maybe go will follow?
Michael Caruana
Jun 16th 2010, 15:09
Who do Melita think they are kidding. They now want to try and recover some of their lost reputation? This is too late. The services offered, whilst not bad are too expensive. Customer Care is terrible and rude. Also, Melita never reduce the cost for those days when the service is not functioning. Thank god that we have a choice on this island...its Dream Box for me.
joe debono
Jun 16th 2010, 15:00
to Melita ...
issa l ghasfur harab !! its too late .....
i guess u will soon introduce mega offers for mobile network as well .... in 8 months time most of clients on the 2 yr contract will have their contract expired ....sa fl ahhar !!!!
bye bye melita
Mark Caruana
Jun 16th 2010, 15:23
My 15 months expired in May, I was given a new phone and a better plan, am very happy...what 24 months are you on about?
David Gatt
Jun 16th 2010, 14:39
Hawwadni...ha nifhmek!
A Mercieca
Jun 16th 2010, 13:51
Very expensive indeed to watch a match.
Garth Farrugia
Jun 16th 2010, 16:21
Sometimes I think Maltese don't read a word before commenting - this is announcing FREE sports and a reduction of €20 in price....how can you say it's expensive to watch a game.... it's much cheaper than it is in Brussels, where I'm living at the mo.
Vince Caruana
Jun 16th 2010, 13:10
Too little too late...