TV: BBC Obtains Exclusive Rights For World Cup

June 12, 2014

[Updated] CableVision has received notification to blackout the World Cup games as Bermuda Broadcasting has obtained exclusive rights, however CableVision hopes to receives an HD feed from the BBC, Bermuda CableVision CEO Terry Roberson said today [June 12].

Mr. Roberson said, “Bermuda CableVision has received notification from SportsMax and ESPN to blackout the World Cup games as Bermuda Broadcasting has obtained the exclusive rights for Bermuda.

2014FIFAWorldCuplogo2-FIFA

“However, we have been working with Bermuda Broadcasting with the aim of receiving a High Definition [HD] feed from them,” added Mr. Roberson.

“Once this is received, Bermuda CableVision will be able to show the World Cup in HD for free on channel 402. As soon as there is an update, we will notify the public.

“In the meantime, we apologise to our customers for the inconvenience and will continue to work expeditiously with Bermuda Broadcasting on this partnership.”

The World Cup kicks off today when Brazil plays Croatia in Sao Paulo, and will culminate with the final on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro. The World Cup features 32 nations and a total of 64 games.

Update 3.25pm: A letter from the International Media Content to Bermuda CableVision confirmed that the BBC acquired the exclusive TV broadcast rights to the World Cup, and noted that transmission by other broadcasters of any of the matches — either live or delayed — is strictly prohibited.

The full letter from International Media Content Ltd. is below [PDF here]

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  1. World Cup TV coverage | Bermuda Blue | June 12, 2014
  1. Archie says:

    Does this mean the picture quality is going to be complete rubbish?

    • Annoyed viewer says:

      Yes, that means while the rest of the world will see it in HD and crystal clear pictures we will it in the normal local fuzzzzz!!!

    • Hi Tech Viewer!!! says:

      This is why I have Internet TV…out dated equipment should not be allowed to spoiled this experience for anyone!!!

    • Family Man says:

      And the truly disgusting part is that part of your cable fees each month are paid to the BBC for their ‘service’.

    • Paulo says:

      Picture is terrible, and don’t forget the audio is even worse. I have to raise the volume on my av receiver +10 decibels and the dynamics are still lacking. Absolute garbage. The equipment they must be using is from the Fred Flinstone days…

  2. daze gone bye says:

    If BBC are showing the world cup, like all cbs shows you have to play it with the volume off or be extremely fast on the mute button. I don’t know why the broadcast commission doesn’t stop them blasting out when the commercials come on. I have heard the excuses but that doesn’t wash.

    At least we will have a visual of the world cup.

    • PBanks says:

      One of these days we’ll get decent video and level audio from Bermuda Broadcasting…

      One day…

      • ya right says:

        My Samsung Galaxy has better video quality than Bermuda Broadcasting. BBC is a joke.

  3. PBanks says:

    Good luck with that. Surely if Cablevision was interested they’d have talked with Bermuda Broadcasting long ago, and then been able to tell their subscribers something, instead of this last-minute “we’ll be blocking espn/sportsmax/(maybe cbc?)” stuff.

  4. Truth is killin' me... says:

    Same song every 4 years from Bermudian incompetence at it’s finest! Sportsmax is crap for Premier League football and BBC is crap for the World Cup and Olympics. No story here…please move along!

    • Perry says:

      its

    • Rich says:

      Yes of course, the rest of the world have a lock on competence…hmmmmmmm, I think not!

  5. mr.speaker says:

    Cablevision is BS

  6. Joonya says:

    I cant believe that in this day and age we are still delaing with this BULLSH*T. Come on BBC/Cablevision get your sh*t together for once!!

  7. Jayme says:

    So – I pay extra to get the sports channels and I still cant see what I want to watch – instead I am forced to watch a local feed that will have commericals during the most interesting part of the games or during the replays – grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

  8. Sandgrownan says:

    Ditch cable..use an overseas proxy..and voila….

  9. Xaxa says:

    They only had FOUR years to come up with this brilliant, last-minute gem.

  10. Family Man says:

    If the BBC is going to keep doing this, I honestly wish they’d just go out of business.

  11. Hmmm says:

    I’m curious…how much do the exclusive Broadcast rights for Bermuda cost ?

    Anyone know

  12. BlueFamiliar says:

    well, this is incredibly annoying.

    Cablevision needs to start giving us credits if they continue to fail to provide paid for coverage.

  13. Cow Polly says:

    Can’t we have a march demanding BBC stop messing with our sports????

  14. Accurate says:

    Gee thanks Bermuda Broadcasting – oh bye the way let your sponsor know that I will boycott whatever product they are hoping to promote with this for a year!!!
    I am sick of having a sub standard product forced on me – and at the last minute to boot!

    I personally never watch any of the local channels anymore mostly because of the horrendous technical quality (lack of!) and the poor content. Let’s be honest the internet is the exclusive domain for news and local interest info now and broadcast TV only appeals to senior citizens. Surely the financial bottom line reflects this eh Fernance & Kenny?
    It’s a new world and the BBC & VSB dinosaurs need to evolve or die.

    Suggestions are – VPN or xpat TV and internet if your speed allows or Dish Network Satellite (prob a little late for this).

    Bermuda – So Much Less??

  15. cha says:

    Cablevision is such garbage this should have been done ages ago.

  16. Navin Johnson says:

    So every other year the people of Bermuda get caught between the BBC and Cablevision…much like the 2 political parties they only care about themselves……Winter Olympics,summer Olympics ,World Cup we get stuck with crappy picture horrible audio and an endless barrage of the same local commercials over and over….well the World Cup just got ruined

  17. So why do I subscribe to Cablevision nd pay for channels that I WILL NOT GET????? Sick and tired of this crap Bda Broadcasting sucks with their quality and volume and adds ( usually when a goal is scored ) F.T. I am getting a stream on my compute some how. Both companies can P.O.

  18. Ginger Beer says:

    We are better off without this FN Bermuda broadcasting company. They are going to make a big mess of it as they do with everything else they touch. Want something to make you feel sick, watch their world cup games half time talk show.

  19. aceboy says:

    The World Cup logo is a big face-palm. I can see why now in Bermuda.

  20. Feed UP says:

    Man YOU people are so hard done by. Be thankful that you can see it at all.

    • Steve Davis says:

      We pay an arm and a leg for TRASH! Why should we be thankful?

    • crystal says:

      The majority of ‘us people’ work hard, and pay a lot for the services we get. We deserve to have the same quality that millions of others also get.

  21. Concerned Citizen says:

    @BBC, take this is a friendly warning on behalf of ALL OF US……do not act the fool and provide us with your normal below-par coverage. None of us are in the mood for it. Regards, Football PoPo

  22. Unbelievable says:

    Why on Earth wasn’t this figured out at least a week before the World Cup started? This news is revealed today of all days.

    BBC, why don’t you have an HD signal to give them? It’s 2014 for God’s sake.

    • Navin Johnson says:

      That would cost money and none of the local stations will spend a nickel….notice the difference when the international feed changes to local it’s day and night…..

      • Cardine Alice says:

        Well they bought the rights so they must be rolling in it! Now they are wasting it. Both are incompetent if it’s come to this. Banana Republic stuff. If only our Internet was better just stream …. Sad day, again.

  23. Archie says:

    I have to agree with the comments about getting money back. Why should I pay to get sports coverage and then find I cannot get it and i have to put up with a vastly inferior product.
    Four years. FOUR YEARS to get this sorted and it is announced the day the World Cup starts. I’m going to cancel my Cable subscription in protest. Makes me soooooooo mad. Utter garbage.
    By the way – are we guaranteed a full schedule of coverage from the BBC or just the odd game?

  24. TO THE MAX says:

    We bermudians think we are the best at everything we have or supposed to have,but to the rest of the world when it comes to broadcast rights we are nothing but a bunch of hill billy islanders. Bermuda is not a part of the USA territory we are a part of the Caribbean although we are far from it. All television rights have to be negotiated and agreed upon if given to that area at all. some countries cant even afford to have television stations and cant see the world cup just listen to it on the radio. yes its 2014 and Bermuda should be put on a plateau being the third of fourth riches island but i don’t think thats true anymore or we would have had Bermuda’s own satellite spot in space up and running. most of us spend our lives complaining what you don’t have,when we should then think about the people that have no food or place to live and see if world cup is on their mind why they cant see it. just a thought. and it cost millions of dollars to secure the rights to world cup ,Olympics any major sport event thats on for days.

  25. me says:

    how are they going to announce this on the day the world cup begins! we have know about this for 4 years yes! lets do some research BEFORE hand and make sure it works for the viewers. this is the most anticipated event to be watched in Bermuda. PROVIDE FOR YOU CUSTOMERS CABLE VISION!

  26. Accurate says:

    Look a little deeper and I’m sure you’ll see the tentacles of a very large world wide sport organization and their regional/local ‘delegates’ involved with a ‘use it or lose it’ instruction from up high. Of course I could be spouting complete nonsense! Follow the money is what deep throat said isn’t it?

    FiF* – so much mess?

  27. haha says:

    FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE NOW THIS. SMH AND YOU STILL TAKE MY MONEY FOR THE EXTRA CHANNELS SERIOUSLY?! How do you sleep at night!

  28. Ginger Beer says:

    They are going to make a big mess of it as they do with everything else they touch. Want something to make you feel sick, watch their world cup games half time talk show.

  29. PBanks says:

    I don’t mind a local broadcaster earning the rights to televise the World Cup or Olympics, it’s important that these events remain free-to-air for those who do not have subscription TV (Cablevision, WOW, etc).

    But you’d think that at some point, the broadcasting companies would have ongoing discussions with the services that can offer extended coverage (alternate feeds, HD options) so that subscribers aren’t forced to endure blackouts and getting subpar coverage.

    As it is, it’s sports bars and the Internet for decent coverage, until proven otherwise.

  30. Yahoo says:

    Another blunder from Cablevision and its Chief Officer, Terry Roberson. What a joke.

    • Family Man says:

      Not CV’s fault. It was BBC who went out of their way to purchase exclusivity to block CV. If everybody had just picked up their regular feeds we would have had a choice of which games to watch on multiple channels.

      This is entirely BBCs fault by enforcing exclusivity and then giving us their usual crappy feeds from the Caribbean network.

  31. Free rashun says:

    This is the same thing that happens to premier league football. Its annoying i just wanna watch football

  32. Steve Davis says:

    Yay! This is exactly what I wanted to hear! Look how many people are rejoicing, I would feel proud to be the BBC with all of this positive feedback.

    I can’t wait to watch it on the BBC, why would you want anything else? The coverage will be amazing the picture, sound, highlights and the commentary will be fantastic.

    Cheer up Bermuda! we could be watching on ESPN on HD!

  33. Steve Davis says:

    HEY THERE! I have just opened up a new restaurant and I want you to join me for our grand opening. Our business model is very simple:

    You will come to my dining establishment and receive below par service from my staff, you will experience a long wait for your meal. What is offered on the menu is very expensive in comparison to other restaurants but we will promise you that the quality of the food is high. For example, you can order a Kobe beef steak, pay an extortionate amount for it. But when your food arrives (after a considerable wait) you will see that on your plate is a shriveled, cheap peace of steakum meat.

    NOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR! TOUGH THIS IS BERMUDA AND THERE IS NO WHERE ELSE TO EAT!

    That is how I would explain my feelings as a TV service customer in Bermuda, especially when it comes to anything football related!

    • Noncents says:

      Nice analogy. The restaurant you are referring to is 1609

  34. ABC says:

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  35. DK says:

    This quality is terrible. I’m sick of this crap.

  36. rex says:

    WHAT…. bloody hell, they’ve only known about this for 4 years! NOT ANOTHER FOOTBALL FIASCO

  37. Accurate says:

    And who owns/controls IMC? Look deeper and find out why we’re being forced to endure this substandard coverage. Like I said before – but it wasn’t posted – F*F* doles this tidbit out to whom? If it’s not used for every WC then it’s withdrawn – can’t have that now can we?
    What a mad scramble it must have been to get this done at the last minute – no advance advertising – no media announcements – public be damn*d! I need to get my perk!

    I could just be imagining this though – what do you all think?

    Sad situation endured by all ‘little nation islands’.

  38. Impressive says:

    The notification at this late hour without the customers being advised at time ago, goes beyond a blunder in my opinion..

  39. local yokel says:

    Ok it’s 4pm…402 doesn’t work… What channel is it on??

  40. midnite says:

    i’ll just leave this here
    http://p2plive.net/0612/brazil-vs-croatia

  41. nuffin but the truth says:

    The Bermuda Broadcasting Company is the WORST TV service in the World!

    as for watching The World Cup..there are MANY ways you can watch it without using TV.

  42. spoons says:

    I’m watching it on Channel 7 @ 5.21pm. The quality isn’t THAT bad…but…

    • Paulo says:

      Picture is ok, but the audio is absolute trash, always is. Gain is very low and lacking in dynamics.

  43. Straws says:

    The Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Cablevision are both to blame. Even though the BBC bought the exclusive rights that force Cablevision to blackout all other broadcasts of the World Cup – Cablevision would not be broadcasting today’s game in HD anyway!

    Our only hope is that these Muppets get channel 402 sorted out ASAP!

  44. Bye Bda B Co says:

    and just who the Hell is International Media Content of St Lucia and how can they possibly dictate to us as to what we watch. Bda Broadcast Co can go stick it were the sun don’t shine. Mr R Richardson your companies antics are not unlike our clown politicians, rubbish. Welcome ZFB News you will now be my choice for the only thing I watch locally now

  45. Beam me up Sparky says:

    So. What happens when two games are played at the same time !

  46. Otto says:

    So does our bill het a credit for blocked channels?

  47. Phillip Wells says:

    1. Sign up for Unblock US (http://www.unblock-us.com/) for $5 per month
    2. Go to http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/soccer/brazil2014/ and stream the match in HD
    3. Cancel CableVision subscription

  48. nuffin but the truth says:

    The Bermuda Broadcasting Company is the WORST TV service in the World!

  49. Sofarbie says:

    Can someone explain to me where and who gave bbc exclusive rights to show the World Cup,I for one thought espn had the rights to show the World Cup, I want to know how much they paid espn to get the feed and is cablevision giving us a credit on our bill at the end of the month. I’ve seen that comercial where that beautiful lady tells us that cablevision doesn’t blackout channels. Get real bbc and cablevision.

  50. Truth is killin' me... says:

    Jokers at Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Cablevision…the lot of ‘em…and Brazil looked weak…even though they won!

  51. Islander says:

    The quality is quite crap for 2014. Bars are not showing the local feed thankfully.