Will footie followers or won’t footie fans get to see the 2022 World Cup for free? That is the query while the fiasco rages on.
The clock is ticking on whether or not soccer followers in Thailand will be succesful of watch the World Cup for free. Last week the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), blamed the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for the fiasco however at present the SAT laid the blame at FIFA’s door.
On Wednesday the NBTC permitted a 600 million baht budget to purchase broadcasting rights so Thais may watch the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for free. The catch? Broadcasting rights price 1.6 billion baht leaving Thailand one billion baht ($US27.2 million) quick.
Readers will be scratching their heads as to why a price range was approved that’s 1 billion baht in want of the asking price. Only in Thailand, eh?
And, with only 9 days to go to kick off, the SAT says it can’t afford it and pointed the finger at FIFA saying “it is just too expensive!”
SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee yesterday stated he’s still trying to negotiate a lower cost with FIFA.
Kongsak made recognized the governing physique is still attempting to explore methods to search out extra funds to purchase the broadcasting rights.
“We final night time contacted each FIFA and its agent and told them frankly that the NBTC had agreed to offer us only this amount of money. So, Incredibly requested them to lower the price more.”
Kongsak added the SAT can be in talks with potential non-public partners to collectively fund the acquisition of the rights.
Kongsak assertion comes just one week after Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that no sponsorship from the private sector was wanted for Thailand to make the finances. He also stated Thai news had overstated the license payment and it was lower than one billion baht.
Just days before that Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan “confirmed” that Thais would have the power to watch the World Cup 2022 at no cost.
Football fans in Thailand only got to watch the Euros in 2020 because Thai business tycoon Komol Jungrungraengkit stepped in at the last minute and paid 300 million baht (around US$10 million) to buy the media rights.
It appears as if the Thai authorities are on the lookout for an analogous knight in shining armour to swoop to the rescue.
It is fair to say the entire course of is a mess. Will the Thai people get to observe the 2022 World Cup for free? Time will tell..