Kopitiams Aren’t Screening World Cup Matches Due to High Cost & Loud Noises

By
Isaac Goh
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Remember the days when we would gather at the Kopitiam to glue our eyes to the TVs streaming that night’s soccer game? The excitement in the air was always electric and cheers would reverberate through every surface of the neighbourhood when our favourite team scored. 

Unfortunately, we can only look back at those times now. 

Coffee Shops Will Not Broadcast World Cup Due To Loud Noise and High Costs

Nooo…

For the Qatar 2022 World Cup, many coffee shops have decided to not broadcast live games, due to the commotion the streamings cause as well as the increasing costs of broadcasting the games.

First and foremost, the noise issue. 

Due to the large number of people that the shows attract, broadcasting the shows often turns into a crowded and noisy affair. The hullaballoo of cheers and screams can chase away potential customers or ruin the experience for non-football fans. 

Hong Baoxing (name transliterated from Mandarin), vice chairman of Foochow Coffee Restaurant & Bar Merchants Association (translated from Mandarin), said its 400 members would not buy live broadcast packages for football matches.  

He has said that many residents have complained about the noise caused by fans watching the game.

Also, those who come down specifically to watch the match may arrive early to hog the seats, affecting the dining experience for others. 

To avoid these issues, the shops have decided to cancel the streaming of football altogether. 

Secondly, the high cost of streaming. 

The coffee shops have to pay for subscription packages in order to broadcast the games. Said packages are increasingly pricey, which deter owners of the coffee shops from purchasing them. 

On top of that, some shops do not have TV sets and have to pay a large sum to install them around the shop.  

In light of all this, we won’t have free broadcasting in coffee shops anymore.

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Where Else?

Since coffee shops are now out of the picture, where else can we watch the beloved sport?

Lao Pa Sat is the first place we can head to. Lao Pa Sat has extended the time of alcohol sale until 3 am and provides live broadcasts of the World Cup matches. 

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A spokesperson for Lao Pa Sat said to Zaobao (translated): “After the lifting of the social distancing restrictions, the market had plans to apply for a license to extend the time for selling alcohol, and the World Cup is a good time. Even after the World Cup, they can still sell until 3 am, but the specific business hours are still determined by the vendors themselves.”

For those that don’t consume alcohol, the community clubs are open.

This year saw a large number of people turning up at community clubs. 

According to Zaobao, before the England vs Iran game on Monday (21 November), there was a constant stream of people entering Yew Tee Community Club, and the staff had to continue increasing the number of seats. Before the match started, there were many people sitting on the ground and it was estimated that a total of 150 people turned up that night.

Also, at Toa Payoh Community Club on Tuesday (22 November), so many people turned up for the Argentina vs Saudi Arabia match that the club had to post a full-seat notice at the entrance to limit the number of people entering the game.

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Lastly, there were many restaurants that offered this service to people. Senor Taco, a Mexican restaurant, has equipped seven TVs, LED screens, and projections for up to 500 people to watch the game. It has also put up many World Cup-related decorations such as inflatable footballs and fake trophies.

Let the games begin.

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Featured Image: Zaobao

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Isaac Goh
Email: [email protected]