Thailand: World Cup broadcast rights warning
November 24, 2022
By Colin Mann
World football governing body FIFA has threatened to revoke Thailand’s right to broadcast the final World Cup matches having found the country’s transmission access was also being used in other countries, the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has revealed.
FIFA’s warning prompted SAT to notify the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, urging the regulator to ensure all parties involved in the broadcasting of the World Cup 2022 finals strictly abide by FIFA’s broadcasting transmission encryption standard.
According to SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee, these parties are five multiplexer DTTs, Thaicom, and all companies providing set-top box (STB) services.
FIFA has asked the broadcasters to encrypt its over-the-air transmissions at least to the minimum standards of ‘Biss CA Director’ or ‘Power/u’. In addition, Thaicom and the providers of STB services cannot use the Biss 1 Simultcrypt as they are now doing, said Kongsak.
“Failure to comply with these rules will result in Thailand’s broadcasting rights being forfeited,” he warned.