Thailand Refuses to Pay $800,000 to Cambodia for SEA Games Broadcasting Rights

According to reports from Thai media the country are refusing to pay a 28 million Baht ($800,000) fee for the local live broadcasting rights of the 2023 South-East Asian Games, to be hosted in Cambodia, claiming that the price is “too high”.

To read about the 2023 SEA Games Legacy click here

According to a source at the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) the neighboring Kingdom have stated that not only can they not afford the fee, but they “do not know where they money will come from”.

The source further added that the SAT would try to negotiate a reduction in the price, or fail that would seek the help of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, in his capacity as chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, with hopes that the money could be found from “other sources”

Despite the controversy Vietnamese broadcaster VTV recently signed an agreement with Future Technology Media Corporation (Onmedia) and the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), to become one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to have acquired broadcasting rights for the games.

To read about VTV deal click here

Broadcasting Rights for the SEA Games

Broadcasting rights to the SEA Games were first allowed at the 2009 event in Laos, who initially asked for $315,000 from participating nations, but alas this figure was not achieved when participants refused to pay.

Since then hosts have traditionally charged a taken amount, with the Philippines charging just $5,000 when they hosted the event and Vietnam charging $10,000 during the last incarnation of the regional tournament.

The upcoming South-East Asian Games, marketed as Cambodia 2023 are set to be the biggest games to date, with nearly 5,100 athletes from 11 countries competing in 40 sports for a combined total of 526 gold medals.