Thailand ‘still in talks’ with Cambodia for SEA Games broadcast rights
Thailand is negotiating with Cambodia on the broadcasting fee for the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which is being hosted by the neighbouring country from May 5 to 17, Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Kongsak Yodmanee said on Friday.
He was responding to comments by several Thai netizens that Cambodia was demanding a higher fee from Thailand compared to other Asean host countries. According to Thai media outlets, Cambodia wants up to US$800,000 (24 million baht).
Thai netizens are opposing the purchase of SEA Games broadcast rights, saying they prefer to follow news reports to watching live broadcasts.
“The SAT is currently in negotiations [with Cambodia] to seek a solution to this issue," Kongsak said.
He said the broadcasting fees are different in each country, adding that the broadcasting fee is higher than in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee said it had nothing to do with broadcasting fee negotiations.
It depends on the negotiations between the countries, said the committee secretary-general, Vath Chamroeun.
He said the SEA Games broadcasting fee varies based on the number of audience and the marketing value in each country.
"Countries with high marketing value must pay [for broadcasting rights] higher than others," he said.
He also hoped that other countries and media outlets would understand this issue.
The charging of fees for SEA Games broadcasting rights was introduced this year. Many SEA Games hosts have collected only a small sum as fees.
For instance, Vietnam charged only $10,000 (350,000 baht) in 2021, while the Philippines charged $5,000 (175,000 baht) in 2019.
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