No Way Around It – Suspense Until the Final Minute: Which Channel Will Air the World Cup?
Thailand's government says securing 2026 World Cup broadcast rights is nearly impossible due to FIFA's 1.7 billion baht licensing fee, worsened by inconvenient late-night scheduling that discourages sponsors. Negotiations may still reduce t
The Thai government, represented by Information and Broadcasting Minister Supamat Issarapakdi, has essentially acknowledged that securing broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearly impossible due to licensing costs reaching 1.7 billion baht—an amount incompatible with Thailand's current economic difficulties. The tournament's scheduling in the United States, Canada, and Mexico creates a timing mismatch with Thai viewers, since matches will air during late night and early morning hours. This discourages sponsors and private businesses from investing, making advertising difficult to secure. The plans have effectively collapsed. However, Minister Supamat later stated there's still a possibility for negotiations to reduce the price to acceptable levels. Reports suggest FIFA might agree to lower rates during the final negotiations before the tournament begins, preferring a discount sale to an unsold product. Major obstacles plague this broadcast effort, particularly the North American venue's incompatible timing compared to European tournaments that suited Thailand's market better. When the World Cup moves to the Americas, local sports-related businesses gain no benefit, and entertainment venues can't organize viewing parties—how can people celebrate football over early morning drinks? These factors make broadcasting the 2026 World Cup extremely unlikely. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul deserves sympathy for his earlier promise of free World Cup access for all Thais, but circumstances prove more challenging than before. Public reaction has been mixed: football enthusiasts expressed frustration that this would be Thailand's first World Cup without free live broadcasts, while others welcomed avoiding the billion-baht licensing cost during economic hardship. If FIFA relents and drops prices, Thais might watch through normal broadcast channels. If not, viewers will resort to 'natural channels' instead. The suspense continues until the final moments.
