VTV retains Vietnam FIFA World Cup rights for 2026

Vietnam Television (VTV) has retained the FIFA World Cup rights in Vietnam after reaching an agreement to broadcast the 2026 finals, giving the public broadcaster exclusivity in a market where tournament access has become a recurring commercial and political issue.The deal covers the 2026 World Cup, which will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico and will expand to 48 teams and 104 matches, increasing total inventory for broadcasters and sponsors.FIFA director of media rights and content services Jean-Christophe Petit said: “FIFA is pleased to reach an agreement with VTV. Early preparation for broadcast activities will help both sides spread the joy and appeal of the World Cup to a wider audience.”VTV said it will distribute coverage across its platforms, including terrestrial and pay-TV channels and digital products, reflecting the way Vietnamese audiences increasingly consume live sport across mobile and connected TV.Do Thanh Hai, VTV’s standing deputy general director, said: “VTV has made thorough and comprehensive preparations to bring a vibrant World Cup across multiple platforms, with a modern production and broadcasting system and experience in organising major sporting events.”Commercially, World Cup rights remain one of the few sports properties in Vietnam capable of delivering mass simultaneous reach, supporting premium ad pricing and sponsorship packages that extend beyond sport into consumer categories.Exclusivity also gives VTV leverage in any sublicensing discussions with pay-TV and OTT operators that want access to matches, highlights and shoulder programming, particularly for large overnight kick-offs when out-of-home viewing rises.Local reporting around the deal has already pointed to tension in that downstream market, with VTV’s advertising and commercial arm understood to have proposed a resale price of about VND100bn for pay-TV operators seeking authorised carriage.That dynamic matters because pay-TV platforms often rely on major tournaments to drive churn reduction and short-term acquisition, while free-to-air broadcasters typically prioritise universal access and reach-based monetisation.The 2026 tournament’s expanded format strengthens that negotiating position, since more matches increase the value of multi-channel scheduling, studio programming and digital clip rights, while also increasing production and distribution cost.Piracy enforcement is another operational priority, with Vietnamese broadcasters historically facing widespread unauthorised streams during major tournaments that can erode both ad value and affiliate negotiations.VTV has publicly highlighted copyright protection as a shared responsibility ahead of the event, signalling that anti-piracy measures will form part of its delivery plan alongside on-the-ground production in the host countries.The agreement also places VTV inside FIFA’s broader push to close remaining rights gaps and secure early activation windows with domestic broadcasters, allowing both sides to sell commercial packages well in advance.Next steps are likely to include a detailed sublicensing framework, platform-specific scheduling plans and confirmation of how VTV will package sponsor inventory across linear TV, digital streams, highlights and social clips under the rights it has acquired.