JAS targets World Cup 2026 rights in bid to retain Premier League subscribers

Jasmine International Emerges as Frontrunner for Thailand’s 2026 World Cup Broadcast Rights

Thailand’s Jasmine International Pcl (JAS) has emerged as the leading contender to secure the domestic broadcast rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026, following the withdrawal of its main competitor, True Corporation.

According to prominent local sports journalist Bebangpakong, True decided to pull out of the bidding process, clearing the way for JAS. An official announcement regarding the deal is expected as early as 5 June.

The development follows a deadlock in government-led negotiations. The Cabinet had previously tasked the Public Relations Department with securing the rights for a free-to-air broadcast. However, the talks collapsed after FIFA refused to alter its condition of selling only the full 48-match package, priced at 1.7 billion baht (£36.2 million).

Strategic Move to Retain Premier League Subscribers

Financial analysts view the potential World Cup acquisition as a highly calculated move by JAS to protect its existing sports content business.

The company recently secured the English Premier League (EPL) broadcasting rights for six seasons (2025–2031) in a deal worth over 19 billion baht. The company streams the matches through its Monomax platform in partnership with telecommunications giant AIS.

• Preventing Subscriber Churn: The EPL season concluded in May and will not resume until August 2026. This three-month gap poses a significant risk of subscriber cancellations.

• Customer Base Preservation: JAS currently holds approximately 1.73 million monthly EPL subscribers via AIS. Analysts estimate that maintaining this base for the two-month off-season creates roughly 700 million baht in revenue.

• Mitigating Piracy: Industry experts note that if Thai football fans cannot access the World Cup through official channels, they will turn to illegal streaming platforms, making it significantly harder for JAS to regain them for the upcoming EPL season.

Market analysts from KS Securities suggest that spending between 500 million and 600 million baht on the World Cup rights represents a cost-effective strategy. It would prevent heavy customer acquisition costs ahead of the new season.

Transition to Private-Sector Funding

The shift toward a private-sector buyer marks a departure from previous major sporting tournaments in Thailand, which were heavily reliant on state funding due to strict broadcasting regulations.

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) confirmed that the controversial Must Have and Must Carry rules—which legally mandated free-to-air broadcasts of major sporting events—have been abolished.

The regulatory change removes the financial burden from state agencies, allowing market forces to dictate the acquisition of major sports properties. Government representatives have indicated support for private companies leading the negotiations to secure the tournament before it commences on 11 June 2026.

JAS has recently aggressive restructured its media operations, rebranding its terrestrial television channel Mono29 to Monomax Sports. The channel has shifted 60% of its programming schedule to sports content as part of a broader strategy to establish a premium digital sports ecosystem.