In Vietnam, as of April 11, Vietnam Television was recognized by FIFA as the broadcasting unit.
In the list of media partners of the award, VTV is the only representative of Vietnam and is associated with the right to exploit on many platforms including television, radio, internet and mobile devices.
According to some sources, the World Cup copyright price in Vietnam is offered for sale at 15 million USD. With this level, Vietnam belongs to the group with average cost in the region, enough to ensure wide broadcasting on many platforms.
Meanwhile, Thailand has not yet bought the copyright. According to Thairath newspaper, the main reason is that the price set by FIFA is too high compared to the affordability of television stations.
In addition, the media management agency of Thailand has removed the mandatory regulation of broadcasting the World Cup for free. This leads to two possibilities, either a private entity will buy the copyright and broadcast it on a paid platform; or if no agreement is reached, fans may not be able to watch the tournament on domestic television.
Malaysia is also in a similar situation. According to the New Straits Times, the copyright price offered by FIFA of nearly 50 million USD is a major barrier that prolongs negotiations. To date, no unit has accepted this price, raising the possibility that this country will not have live World Cup broadcasts.
With Singapore, this country does not specifically announce the price of buying World Cup copyrights. Currently, Singapore applies a direct fee collection model from viewers.
According to Mediacorp, viewers have to pay from 98 to 118 SGD (about 70-85 USD) to watch all 104 matches. This price is equivalent to the 2022 World Cup, showing that this market accepts the commercialization of sports content at a high level.
Indonesia is going in a different direction. According to Sportcal, TVRI broadcasts the entire tournament for free according to the Government's direction to serve a large number of people. This is a rare market in the region that does not charge viewers.
In addition to these countries, Myanmar, Brunei and Laos still do not have the broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup.
On a larger scale, the New Straits Times said that even a large market like India is facing difficulties. FIFA once reduced the price of the World Cup 2026 and 2030 copyright package from about 100 million USD to 35 million USD but has not yet found a partner.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico in the period from June 11 to July 19.
