Thai Football Seeks Free TV Coverage for Asian Cup Final

Madam Pang Nualpranne Lamsam, president of the Thai Football Association, has discussed with the Sports Minister the possibility of getting government help to broadcast the 2026 Asian Cup final on free television. Thai football fans have criticized the lack of free-to-air coverage of Thailand's matches in the tournament, as broadcast rights are held by TrueVisions, which streams all matches exclusively through the TrueVisions Now app. With Thailand now advancing to the final round again, calls for free broadcast access have intensified. Sports Minister Surasak Charoenpanwanich asked Madam Pang about the feasibility of airing the final match on free TV. Madam Pang explained that TrueVisions owns the rights and has already sold monthly subscription packages at 199 baht per month to viewers, so the government would need to negotiate with TrueVisions. She has already discussed this with Ongaj Praphakamon, head of TrueVisions and Media at True Corporation, who said he would consult company executives before providing an answer. Madam Pang cited the precedent of World Cup coverage, where JAS and MONO purchased the rights but still allowed the semifinals and final to air on free TV. She understands TrueVisions' position since they sold subscription packages for this tournament, but said the company must also consider its paying customers. The Sports Minister stated that broadcasting national football matches creates inspiration and is important for the team. He urged the Football Association to develop a plan requesting support from the National Sports Development Fund to help purchase broadcast rights for future national team matches.