BANGKOK: An upstart company has taken Thailand's TV industry by
surprise by snatching the country's live broadcast rights to World Cup
2002 and 2006 matches.
In past years, TV Pool of Thailand (TPT), a cartel of free TV stations
established to negotiate jointly for the broadcasting of major sports
and other events of national significance, had enjoyed the right to
decide which stations broadcast which World Cup matches. But Tospak
Communication Agency came from behind and negotiated the sale of the
broadcast rights from the owner, Kirch Media of Germany.
Tospak is a new firm chaired by a former army general and backed
financially by the owner of Chang Beer and Sang Som whiskey. It intends
to buy airtime from TPT to broadcast the games and manage ad sales by
itself.
The 2002 package reportedly cost US$7.5 million, double the cost
for the 1998 event.
With partial sponsorship from Chang Beer and Sang Som, the company
intends to broadcast all 64 matches without commercial interruptions
during gameplay, according to Tospak's managing director Worawoot
Rojanapanich.
Tospak is now negotiating with TPT to decide which stations will
broadcast the matches.
Worawoot denied claims by a Government official that the state-run
Channel 11 would be the core station in broadcasting the 2002
matches.
Meanwhile, Thai TV, a free cable service that is not a member of TPT,
has announced it will be broadcasting some of the matches.
Live World Cup matches will mark a major step forward for Thai TV, which
debuted in October under the operation of World Star TV. Currently, Thai
TV's main source of income is the sale of the antennas required to
receive the service.
