RTM World Cup soccer telecast begins to secure sponsorship
PUTRAJAYA: The cost for Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) to telecast the 2018 World Cup soccer matches is RM30 million, the bulk of which would be from advertisement income, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said yesterday.
He said efforts so far had resulted in acquiring some RM15 million worth of sponsorship.
“I received an official letter indicating that the cost for the telecast ( both live and delayed) totals RM30 million for 41 matches. I will call a press conference if I have more information on the sponsorship,” he said at a press conference at the Finance Ministry where Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had also spoken on the World Cup sponsorship.
Gobind Singh said RTM would make the necessary preparations to telecast the matches and would resume its role as a television channel viewed by all the people.
Lim replied to criticism by certain quarters on the live telecast at a time when the government was collecting donations for the ‘ Tabung Harapan Malaysia’ trust fund to help pay the national debt.
He said the financial allocation for the World Cup live telecast was approved by the Cabinet because, as Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday, it was a quadrennial tournament and a global event as well.
“Hence, the flexibility was given,” he said, adding that part of the RM30 million had been met through sponsorship by companies.
RTM will telecast 41 of the 64 matches of the tournament, with 27 live telecasts and the rest, delayed.
Thirty-two countries are competing in the prestigious tournament that will be played at several venues in Russia from June 14 to July 15. — Bernama