Jaime Parada, General Manager at Win Sports, was interviewed by Nextv News Latin America and expressed himself about the launch of Win Sports+, the new premium option of the Colombian pay TV channel, officially launched last January 20th, and gave details about its marketing, growth aspirations, its launch in other pay TV operators and outside the region and the standalone online versions of the channel.
How is a premium channel sold? How is the case of Win Sports + in a country with low pay TV ARPU, as it is Colombia?
The Win Sports + rate in dollars is about USD 8.84 per month; that is, below what is normally charged in Colombia for other premium channels. Although these are offers different from sports, they can be referents and tend to be used as a comparative measure. If this value is compared with the ARPU in Colombia, which is at USD 18, according to the Business Bureau, we would be talking about a 49% ratio; that is, on the average of what we see in countries like Argentina and Chile.
This without considering that around two million homes in Colombia access TV pay irregularly , which reduces the ARPU in the country. This way, understanding that we compete with the families budget for this type of services, we feel calm because it is a niche product, so we focus mainly on that segment. We have an attractive offer, where we sell the attributes and benefits of the TV network, such as the quality of broadcasts and production, the most complete analyzes and the highest level technology for the local football fan.
What growth expectations are planned for Win Sports+ this year?
It is a long-term project, which aims to double the income of Colombian football, but if, for example, we reach the levels of Argentina, a country in which the ‘Football Pack’ has been in operation for two years and has achieved a 33% penetration, then the Dimayor (Colombian Football Major Division) would go from receiving COL$113 billion to COL$ 283 billion each year, derived from the broadcasting rights. We estimate that, with the premium channel, Colombian football will receive at least 32.6% more revenue than it received in 2019.
Are there any intentions to launch the channel in other Latin American countries or outside the region?
No. At the moment we are focused on the Win Sports+ project in Colombia, which is the most important in the country’s industry, since a Colombian premium sports channel made for Colombians had never been launched, and this requires all our concentration in the short and medium term.
In Colombia, are there negotiations to include Win Sports + in other pay TV operators, apart from the ones announced?
At present, Win Sports+ reaches more than 90% of the population with pay TV in the country, with the seven operators with which it was initially negotiated. The situation of not being able to offer the channel in other operators is due to technical issues. Most of these providers are analog, and the technology required to broadcast the premium channel is digital. Therefore, they must provide a home STB. As other operators reach the minimum required features, they will surely be able to offer the channel to their subscribers.
Will the premium channel have any standalone online version?
Of course, there are two possibilities. One is through Win Sports Online, making the payment on the winsportsonline.com site. This way, subscribers will have access to the two TV channels: Win Sports and Win Sports+. The other option is through the operators. By paying the monthly subscription and without paying more, it is possible to access each operator’s streaming platform, which also allows subscribers to enjoy the Win Sports+ channel from any mobile device.