Jasmine International Plc (JAS) has successfully secured the exclusive live broadcast rights in Thailand for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending months of speculation regarding whether local football fans would face a television blackout.
The tournament will begin with the opening ceremony in Mexico today and will last until July 19 and will be played across three co-host nations: The United States, Mexico and Canada.
According to sources, world football’s governing body, FIFA, initially set the fee for the live broadcast rights for Thailand at US$40 million (approximately 1.3 billion baht). When factoring in taxes, the total cost was estimated to reach 1.7 billion baht.
During negotiations, JAS reportedly aimed to secure the rights at a price point closer to that which neighbouring Vietnam paid, which was around $15 million (approximately 500 million baht). While the final agreed-upon figure has not yet been officially disclosed, JAS confirmed yesterday that it has wrapped up a deal for the sole broadcasting rights in Thailand.
According to the company, the deal is valued at approximately US$70 million, or around 2.3 billion baht but, under this agreement, JAS will secure the broadcast rights for two consecutive World Cup tournaments, this year and 2030.
In addition to two World Cups, the agreement includes the broadcast rights for several other FIFA-sanctioned sporting events. These include men's and women's football tournaments, futsal, beach soccer, the FIFA Club World Cup, as well as FIFA E-Sports competitions.
