World Cup TV copyright price
The World Football Federation (FIFA) and its trading partner Infront Sports & Media - have bid for the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights in the Vietnamese market to "double digits" (in millions of USD).
A month ago, many sources said that the price FIFA wanted was more than 16 million USD, which transcended the 15 million USD mark that Vietnam Television (VTV) had paid to own the copyright of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The increase in TV rights can be explained that the 2026 World Cup is much larger than previous editions, when FIFA expanded the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 teams, resulting in an increase in the number of matches from 64 matches to more than 100 matches.
However, high prices also cause many difficulties for broadcasters in Vietnam in negotiating and owning copyrights. According to industry experts, paying such a large sum of money is not easy, especially for broadcasters without support or cooperation from other units.
Ms. Do Phuong Chi - a sports copyright exploitation expert in Vietnam, shared: Ownership of World Cup television copyright must be done directly with FIFA. We - as an agency in Vietnam - will work closely with FIFA to clearly understand information related to format, prices and other requirements. The important thing is to grasp the factors affecting copyright value to make the most reasonable decision.
Ms. Chi also pointed out that the change in the format of the 2026 World Cup is one of the factors leading to the possibility of high television copyright prices.
The 2026 World Cup will expand the scale by increasing the number of teams to 48 teams, leading to a significant increase in the number of matches. This will increase the price of television rights, because the larger number of matches means that television must broadcast more, said Ms. Chi.
A typical example is the Thai market - where copyright prices can reach up to 45-50 million USD. However, after two rounds of bidding, the parties have not been able to finalize this figure. FIFA is still working directly with broadcasters to determine the official price.
In the Vietnamese market, information about the 2026 World Cup television copyright price was given at about 15 million USD. However, Ms. Do Phuong Chi confirmed that the above number has not been officially confirmed.
"In my opinion, if the price is given at 15 million USD, it will still be quite high for the Vietnamese market. In addition to copyright costs, broadcasters also have to calculate many other additional costs, including contractor fees, production fees, etc. If these additional costs are calculated, the amount can be up to about 18 million USD, said Ms. Chi.
Challenges for Vietnamese broadcasters
One of the factors that makes it difficult for TV stations to negotiate copyrights is the financial problem. Paying such a large amount of money and ensuring a short-term capital recovery is a big challenge.
TV stations must calculate carefully, not only the copyright price but also have to plan for broadcasting, production, advertising costs, and other costs. This financial balance could put many broadcasters at great risk.
This is an extremely difficult economic problem for broadcasters. This amount must be recovered within a month, a very short time. This means that TV stations must attract many sponsors, advertisers or have a feasible business plan to solve financial problems.
In the previous World Cup, Vietnam Television (VTV) was lucky to receive support from partners to be able to buy copyrights. In the current context, when copyright prices may increase significantly, mobilizing sponsorship becomes even more necessary, Ms. Do Phuong Chi added.
Although the current 2026 World Cup copyright price has not yet reached an official conclusion, experts predict that the television copyright market in Vietnam will become more vibrant by the end of 2025, when TV stations and sponsors begin to promote negotiations.
Meanwhile, it is also possible to rule out the possibility of changes in copyright prices, especially when FIFA continues to negotiate with partners around the world.
We have to wait for negotiations in the coming months to make a final decision. However, mobilizing sponsorship and cooperation with partners is extremely important to ensure the broadcast of the 2026 World Cup in Vietnam, said Ms. Chi.
