Thailand switches off World Cup C-band satellite signal after Fifa warning
Viewers in Thailand are no longer able to watch World Cup matches on C-band satellite television, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) said.
The C-band signal was switched off on Thursday after a warning from Fifa over broadcasting copyright.
As a result, viewers with black-mesh satellite dishes were unable to watch the Costa Rica vs Germany and Japan vs Spain matches on Thursday night.
The ban on C-band match broadcasts will last for the whole tournament, NBTC said.
It came after Fifa warned Thailand that its broadcast rights could be revoked over the leakage of its World Cup signal to other countries in the region. Fifa has issued six warnings to Thailand over the leakage, according to NBTC.
"Thailand will be banned from broadcasting the World Cup if the country does not tackle this issue immediately," it said. The rights were bought for 1.4 billion baht but could still be revoked, it added.
NBTC said it has asked television operators to set up advanced encryption and suspend any C-band satellite broadcasts of the World Cup.
Viewers in Thailand can still watch live World Cup matches via digital television, the Samart KU-Band satellite system and TrueVisions channels.
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