While subscribers to Marpin 2K4 sit comfortably at home viewing the 2010 FIFA World Cup, football fans who have SAT Telecommunications connections have been forced to miss the games or seek alternate means of viewing the football extravaganza.
The contentious issue of Marpin 2K4 being the sole holder of rights to broadcast the games locally has been a topic of much debate. Some persons allege that corporate greed on the part of Marpin 2k4 has left subscribers of rival broadcaster SAT out in the cold.
In a statement published earlier today on Dominica News Online, Marpin 2K4 sought to clarify the issue, explaining that “the rights to the World Cup was an equal opportunity process with both Marpin and SAT Telecoms being contacted by the regional rights owner, SportsMax, to purchase the rights to broadcast to the Dominican public. Marpin was the only company that responded positively and bought the rights for Dominica. As part of its ongoing responsibility, Marpin offered the package to SAT Telecoms. SAT’s position remained unchanged as they again declined an offer to carry the World Cup.”
A war of words has since erupted between the two companies, mainly on the issue of the cost of broadcasting the games.
In its statement, Marpin 2k4 struck out at SAT, stating “Sat Telecoms has claimed that Marpin purchased the rights for the games at the cost of $45,000 US Dollars and that Marpin offered them the games at the same cost. Marpin wishes to categorically deny this. In fact, the sum of $45,000 US Dollars was the amount proffered to each company in a shared market. Since SAT Telecoms was not interested in bringing the games to its customers, Marpin was offered exclusive rights at the cost of US $80,000 which the company had to pay in advance.”
In a recently released counter-statement, SAT Telecoms protests that Marpin 2K4’s allegations of statements made by SAT are “categorically untrue”.
Marlon Alexander, SAT’s Managing Director, in a tersely-worded statement fired back at Marpin: “I stated how much SportsMax offered the games for. I stated how much Marpin offered the games for. I also gave a scenario that if in a worse case scenario, if Marpin paid $60,000 for the games that half of this would have been $30,000.”
Alexander went on to accuse Marpin’s manager of trying to “do their best to discredit me and my company.
“I expected nothing less from Marpin,” he added.
“Marpin 2K4 has also stated that they paid $80,000 for the games. I will state talk is cheap.” Alexander concluded.
It's not a matter of SAT customers needing to pay more…………….Mr Alexander and Mrs, never had intensions of carrying the games……………….they were never interested……………………
“the rights to the World Cup was an equal opportunity process with both Marpin and SAT Telecoms being contacted by the regional rights owner, SportsMax, to purchase the rights to broadcast to the Dominican public. Marpin was the only company that responded positively and bought the rights for Dominica. As part of its ongoing responsibility, Marpin offered the package to SAT Telecoms. SAT’s position remained unchanged as they again declined an offer to carry the World Cup.”
Only one company in a country can have exclusive broadcasting rights to the FIFA world cup..The cost Marpin is offering to SAT is just outrageous…SAT was generous to them four years ago when they had the exclusive right to the games in 2006, they offered it to Marpin at 1/2 price..Why should SAT pay the Marpin the same price? Marpin know they do not offer cable services to many villages in Dominica…SO if they really cared about customer and believe in providing great customer service they would offer the rights to SAT at a reasonable cost..thereby allowing 90% of Dominicans to view the FIFA instead of the 45%. It is a known fact that most villages in Dominica is 100% SAT telecommunication..
There is no other way SAT can get the rights to broadcast the FIFA world…if they could they would…
lol i totally agree with u hmm is an a..
here we go again over money .however when they dead they won't be taking any with them
SAT needs to apologize to the ppl of dominica . Such an important event and viewers can't see it? It's a good thing I didn't move to sat and i stayed with my marpin. …..
hmmm in case u do not know or u are not aware of who owns marpin lol do your home work that was marpin telecoms nowis marpin 2k4 .
well sat u lost my family busiiness
i beleive marpin was quite unfair. in preveious cases SAT when they bought exclusive rights had provided great offers to MARPIN. i see nothing wrong if MArpin would sell their offers to SAT at half he price since thats what SAT did previously. sure it was intended to discrediy the business. lets think of this shit. wouldnt it have still been profitable to MARPIN had they sold it at half the price to SAT? but just so that the business would be discredited then they refused to and instedad wanted o offer a ridiculous price SAT could not afford. of all businesses MARPIN sud think twice cuz they always in finacial trouble. well probably dats why theor offer was ridiculous…..
This technically does not have anything to do with the Dominican public. The fact that Marpin felt they should spend the money to bring the games can probably be argued as a sign of caring about the public, although i doubt that's the reason – i think its purely a business decision. Whatever the case may be, the facts are apparently that SAT was also in the same position as Marpin, and they failed to step up and deliver. That can be construed as a lack of caring about the public. So you see this argument can go different ways. And you surmise that Marpin is trying their best to discredit SAT – how do you come to that conclusion? I happen to think its business competition, survival of the fittest.
Dno, always bringing the news
Its true business is business but if marpin really cared about the dominican public they would set a reasonable price that SAT could consider.. I jus see this as marpin using the opportunity to try their best to discredit SAT as said above… This is just a low low move by marpin…
Whats wrong!!! SAT should pay up or shut up. Blaming your rivals for not allowing you in on information or even allowing you access is ridiculous. Marpins obligation is to its customers and shareholders. As far as I see it, if SAT does not like Marpins price, then find alternatives to get your customers access to the games. This is competition, and SAT should basically explain to its customers that they need to pay more in other to be able to veiw the world cup.
You know what, to be quite frank, this is business. The amount Marpin paid is their business. They can sell it for whatever they want. That's business. If they get someone to pay twice what they paid, that's their business. There is no law demanding that they sell it at a controlled price to SAT or anyone else. If SAT determines they cannot pay what Marpin wants for it, OH WELL. It's like going to the supermarket to buy something – if you don't like the price, leave the people thing alone and stay without. SAT needs to stop crying. Better luck next time.
Really don't know who is at fault but for heaven's sake please try & sort things out so that person subscribing to SAT can view this World event. There are some of us that cannot subscribe to Marpin as the service is not in our area. I am being laughed at by family & friends in other Caribbean islands who cannot believe that my TV service provider is not bringing the WCup. Probably the only people in the world that want to watch that can't. Is it any wonder Dominica is constantly called a backward country.