Models and football fans cheer during a promotional event for the World Cup at the World Trade Centre in Hong KongThursday. The 2010 World Cup kicks off on June 11 at the Soccer City stadium of Johannesburg, South Africa, with the match between South Africa and Mexico. EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY

World Cup punters and patriots will pay a premium to see the world's premier sports tournament live. Businesses and match providers have dollar signs in their eyes and are looking to cash in.

For example, the sole broadcast provider of home TV coverage, iCable, is charging about 1,000 fans HK$33 a day to subscribe to the games. Street-side Cha chaan teng and penthouse bars alike are setting minimum charges in anticipation of brisk early morning business.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades Simon Wong Ka-wo is confident the city's Cha chaan tengs will stay open extra late, to broadcast the games, in the expectation of earning a collective HK$600 million. Operators aren't shy about paying the HK$4,000 a month premium for public airing of the games.

North Point's You Me You Me Cha chaan Teng is expecting business to double. It's instituted a HK$50 minimum charge per head, while Wan Chai's Penthouse Sky Lounge is following suit with a HK$150 per person minimum charge.

El Grande Holding's Hong Kong Brew House in Lan Kwai Fong and Inn Side Out in Causeway Bay will impose a HK$150 cover charge that includes two drinks, while key matches at its Grappa's Cellar operation underneath Jardine House have already been booked out by Mexican, Italian and Dutch chambers of commerce, according to marketing director Rhys Adams.

Today's opening match between South Africa and Mexico at Tsim Sha Tsui's Manchester United Bar and Restaurant was sold out as of last week despite a HK$200 cover charge that includes two drinks.

Reservations at Wan Chai's The Dog House have been a bit slower assistant general manager Marivic Capistrano said, but she expects bookings to get more intense as the tournament comes to its conclusions.

"We've already got 140 people booked for the final, still a month away and it's just going to get crazier and crazier as we get closer to the end," she said.

To cope with its extended hours and an expected influx of guests eager for a pint or pie, Central's Bulldog's Bar and Grill has hired extra hands to help out and has overstocked in anticipation of thirsty revelers, General Manager Hesham Tharwat said.

Outside the city's bar haunts, the city's biggest karaoke provider Neway is charging HK$129 a head from Sunday to Thursday, HK$149 for Fridays and HK$159 for Saturdays to catch the games in one of its rooms.

An abortive attempt to have the games shown at local cinemas flopped when tests showed the FIFA feed to the city was not good enough for the big screen, but several of the city's malls are already out to pick up the ball.

The Mass Transit Railway's Telford Plaza, Maritime Square and Paradise Mall will screen the World Cup games, Chief Shopping Centres Manager Candy Ng Chui-lok said, adding she expects traffic at its Telford Plaza and Maritime Square malls to increase 12 percent and 20 percent respectively.

Kwun Tong's APM is also offering coverage on five big screen TV's and on screens in washrooms. It's expecting to draw more than 10,000 fans for every match

Forecasting daily traffic of 400,000 visitors and monthly turnover of HK$280 million thanks to its promotions, the mall will also offer shower services for people who stay overnight.

China Daily

(HK Edition 06/11/2010 page1)