Vietnam secures FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 broadcast rights at last minute

Both platforms announced the deal on their official fanpages, with TV360 stating that it had reached an agreement to broadcast the entire FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026.

The announcement came as a surprise to Vietnamese fans after negotiations had appeared to collapse earlier in the day.

More than a week ago, reports emerged that a Vietnamese company had successfully acquired the rights and was waiting to make an official announcement.

However, Vietnam still had no broadcast rights when the tournament kicked off on Thursday.

A representative of one broadcaster involved in the negotiations told Tuoi Tre on Friday that the deal was still being finalized, with the biggest obstacle being the price, which had not satisfied both sides.

Some broadcasters hoped to finalize a deal closer to match time to secure a lower price, but talks ultimately broke down, mainly because of the high rights fee and FIFA’s refusal to make further concessions.

By Saturday noon, reports indicated that Vietnamese broadcasters had stopped pursuing the deal.

However, about an hour before Vietnam’s opening match against the Philippines, FPT Play and TV360 confirmed that they had obtained the tournament rights.

FIFA had initially reportedly asked for US$3 million for the broadcasting package before reducing the price to $2.6 million.

A television-rights expert told Tuoi Tre that the final price paid by the Vietnamese side would be significantly lower than the initial asking price.

The expert said the earlier reports that Vietnam would not obtain the rights may have contributed to FIFA becoming more flexible in the negotiations.

However, securing rights so close to kickoff could make it difficult for broadcasters to maximize advertising revenue to offset costs, the expert added.

Vietnam was scheduled to face the Philippines at 7:30 pm on Saturday at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Indonesia.

Vietnam are in Group B alongside the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan.

Next week, the Vietnamese national team is scheduled to play Thailand on Tuesday and Pakistan on Friday.

The Group B winner will advance to the final against the Group A winner, with the tournament champion set to receive US$650,000.

The original prize for the champion was $1 million, but FIFA reduced it to $650,000 amid difficulties in selling broadcasting rights at high prices.