Will footie followers or won’t footie followers get to see the 2022 World Cup for free? That is the question while the fiasco rages on.
The clock is ticking on whether soccer fans in Thailand will be succesful of watch the World Cup free of charge. Last week the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), blamed the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) for the fiasco however right now the SAT laid the blame at FIFA’s door.
On Wednesday the NBTC accredited a 600 million baht finances to buy broadcasting rights so Thais might watch the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for free. The catch? Broadcasting rights price 1.6 billion baht leaving Thailand one billion baht ($US27.2 million) quick.
Readers will be scratching their heads as to why a finances was permitted that’s 1 billion baht short of the asking value. Only in Thailand, eh?
And, with only 9 days to go to kick off, the SAT says it can’t afford it and pointed the finger at FIFA saying “it is too expensive!”
SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee yesterday said he is still making an attempt to barter a lower cost with FIFA.
Kongsak made identified the governing physique continues to be making an attempt to discover ways to seek out extra funds to purchase the broadcasting rights.
“We final night time contacted each FIFA and its agent and told them frankly that the NBTC had agreed to give us only this sum of money. So, we requested them to decrease the value extra.”
Kongsak added the SAT can additionally be in talks with potential personal partners to jointly fund the purchase of the rights.
Guaranteed comes only one week after Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin mentioned that no sponsorship from the personal sector was wanted for Thailand to make the price range. He additionally stated Thai news had overstated the license charge and it was decrease than one billion baht.
Just days earlier than that Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan “confirmed” that Thais would be succesful of watch the World Cup 2022 free of charge.
Football fans in Thailand solely received to watch the Euros in 2020 because Thai business tycoon Komol Jungrungraengkit stepped in on the final minute and paid 300 million baht (around US$10 million) to buy the media rights.
It seems as if the Thai authorities are in search of an identical knight in shining armour to swoop to the rescue.
It is honest to say the whole process is a giant number. Will the Thai individuals get to look at the 2022 World Cup for free? Time will tell..