Eleven expands in SE Asia on back of Astro STL deal

Sports broadcaster Eleven has struck a four-year partnership with Malaysian pay TV operator Astro that will enable it to stream the country’s Sepak Takraw League (STL) in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Fans of sepak takraw or ‘kick volleyball’, Malaysia’s national sport, which is popular across the region, will be able to watch the matches of the Emas Anuar STL 2021/22 season from January until March on Elevensports.com thanks to the year-year exclusive broadcast rights deal with Astro.

The deal comes as Eleven prepares to expand its presence in the region, with plans to launch in multiple territories.

From the start of this year, Eleven will be delivering its service to fans in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines with plans to expand further in the near future, according to Nick Wilkinson, APAC managing director, Eleven.

Apart from the countries that Elevensports.com will be broadcasting to, the season will also be shown live in America through an earlier partnership with All Sports Television Network.

Malaysians can watch the STL live on Astro Arena and stream on the Astro Go app.

“STL is one of the first sports IPs that is born and bred in Malaysia to be recognised by an international broadcaster and for it to be shown alongside sports properties carried by Elevensports.com such as the 2022 AFC Cup. We along with the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) and our sponsors are committed to drive this local sport and hope to inspire new sepak takraw fans in the region,” said Nicholas John, head of sports at Astro.

“As live STL action graces the global stage, the upcoming season will feature live English commentary while we welcome the return of international players who can offer a unique flare to the gameplay. Additionally, fans in Thailand will be treated with Thai match commentary and watch Thai players participating at STL. At the same time, our Malaysian sepak takraw athletes will also benefit from the international exposure on the global arena.”

Wilkinson said: “We are delighted to supplement our offering in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong with the Sepak Takraw League. Our mission is to deliver a dynamic sports service to fans with an offering of really local and locally relevant live sport. Sepak Takraw is a key part of that plan, and we are excited to be bringing it to fans from the start of 2022.”