True widens access for viewing World Cup finals
True Corporation Plc will allow other operators of IPTV to broadcast the final and third-place matches of the 2022 World Cup Finals from Qatar, the company said on Friday.
The two matches are on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s match will see Morocco and Croatia battle for 3rd place, while France and Argentina will compete for first place on Sunday.
As the exclusive holder of broadcasting rights via the IPTV channel, True will allow operators of IPTV boxes to broadcast the matches via their platforms free of charge, True co-president Teeradet Dumrongbhalasitr said.
Operators are required to submit a written request to True and specify how they will prevent infringements of intellectual property, such as broadcasts via websites or mobile apps.
“True is willing to cooperate with IPTV operators, without demanding any compensation, to bring the matches to all Thai viewers who are waiting to see the last two matches of World Cup 2022,” Teeradet said. “True prioritises the protection of the intellectual property of content owners under international standards to maintain Thailand’s positive image and prevent being banned from broadcasting future world-class events,” Teeradet added.
True earlier said that it had signed a contract with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) to purchase the rights to broadcast the 2022 World Cup final.
Under the contract, True contributed 300 million baht in exchange for exclusive broadcasting rights via cable, satellite, IPTV, Internet, mobile and OTT platforms. Broadcast via terrestrial transmission remains free to the public under the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)’s must-have rule of 2012.
This led, earlier this month, to the NBTC demanding that the SAT repay the 600 million baht it had provided the agency for purchase of World Cup broadcasting rights. SAT’s contract with True prevented other IPTV operators from broadcasting the signal, contradicting the aim of the must-have rule, the NBTC said.
