This week, SingTel delivered on its promise that the cost of watching English Premier League on TV would not go up next year.

While this is surely good news for cost-conscious football fans, SingTel still has some way to go before it can win over the hearts of naysayers.

Top-class programming and a guarantee that subscription costs will not go up over the next two years must be delivered, if the telco giant is to entice more followers to the mio TV camp.

Interactivity and a convergence of TV, Internet and mobile devices are already offered by current rights-holders StarHub, and SingTel - to paraphrase their CEO Allen Lew - must up the game.

The ability to offer matches on-demand 24/7 is already a huge boon for sleep-challenged fans who may not want to wake up at 2am to catch a live mid-week game.

Adding other key content like weekly match highlights to the list of on-demand programmes will surely be a popular move.

On the hosting front, SingTel is expected to outshine the incumbent, seeing how the likes of Joe Morrison were widely-panned for their lack of chutzpah (Guest analyst John Burridge, on the other hand, had too much of it).

But bringing back the effervescent John Dykes isn't enough - adding credible and well-spoken Asian voices to a genre dominated by Caucasian hosts and ex-players would make for more diverse and interesting viewing.

Notwithstanding Shebby Singh, SingTel would do well to emulate what Star Sports has done with its Formula One programmes, where Asian commentators and hosts like Paula Malai and Alex Yoong mingle comfortably with the likes of Steve Dawson.

By making the EPL product more local - without sacrificing production values - SingTel has a chance to make the pre-match and half-time shows less of an onerous experience than they are now.

Another strategy to woo fans is put the power of the remote back into their hands.

How many times have you rushed home to catch a game, only to miss the opening goal that was scored in the 2nd minute? Even for the impatient fan, replays are only guaranteed at half-time.

SingTel could change the game by putting goal replays for every ongoing match on demand. Other significant match events, like a red card or a penalty miss could be added to the list.

In short, SingTel has to make the $23 that fans will be paying each month seem like a steal.

But the deal-breaker will come after the first season, when SingTel may decide to up subscription charges, bearing in mind that the company probably paid over the top to beat StarHub to the prize and will want to recoup its investment.

Such a move, while pragmatic and pleasing to shareholders, will alienate even more fans, many of whom have already vowed to turn to free Internet streaming sites for their EPL diet.

Over to you, SingTel.