CTH Plc., the "loss-ridden" Thai pay-TV operator owned by lawyer and veteran investor Wichai Thongtang, "is likely to close its doors by the end of this month."A source at PPTV, which had an EPL football sublicense from CTH from August to May, said that CTH has losses of almost 10B baht ($284M) and "will lay off its staff of 100 in the next two weeks." CTH "failed to compete in the pay TV sector even after securing broadcast rights for the popular EPL for the last three seasons" (BANGKOK POST, 6/21).
EFL KICKOFF: Sky Sports will kick off its biggest ever season of live football with three matches in three days from the English Football League, featuring Fulham vs. Newcastle on Aug. 5, followed by Queens Park Rangers vs. Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday vs. Aston Villa on Aug. 7. This season Sky Sports will show more than 700 matches from eight different leagues across its channels and digital outlets (Sky Sports).
ROYAL OCCASION: BT Sport secured the rights to broadcast Henley Royal Regatta live "for the first time this year" as the event capitalizes upon the success of the '15 broadcast project.
Live coverage of racing "will begin on BT Sport at 1300 BST" on June 29, June 30 and July 1, with the full day’s racing shown live on July 2 and 3 (HENLEY HERALD, 6/22).
