In Thailand, the English Premier League rights are regarded by broadcasters as a subscription-driving sports property, owing to the league’s widespread popularity across the nation.
This substantial following is the reason the Premier League’s media rights income continues to escalate in the Southeast Asian kingdom. Thai telecom operator Jasmine International is the latest pay-TV provider to secure these rights at a significantly elevated price.
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Jasmine has agreed to pay $560 million for the rights to broadcast English soccer’s top-tier and the FA Cup knockout competition over the next six seasons. The new agreement grants the telecom exclusive rights to live broadcasts of matches in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, commencing with the 2025-26 season.
The company reports that it has over 600,000 customers for its streaming platform and anticipates that the Premier League deal will not only boost this number but also expand the service’s presence in Laos and Cambodia.
Valued at $93.3 million per season, the deal represents a 114% increase over the current agreement, with Jasmine’s coverage set to replace regional competitor TrueVisions, the current broadcaster of English soccer in Thailand.
Table 1: Premier League rights cycle and value in Thailand
| RIGHTS CYCLE | BROADCASTER | TOTAL VALUE ($m) | ANNUAL VALUE ($m) | ANNUAL CHANGE (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2031 | Jasmine International | $560 | $93.3 | 114% |
| 2022 to 2025 | TrueVisions | $131 | $43.7 | 5% |
| 2019 to 2022 | TrueVisions | $125 | $41.6 | -50% |
| 2016 to 2019 | BeIN Sports | $250 | $83.4 | -15% |
| 2013 to 2016 | Cable Thai Holding | $293 | $97.7 | 330% |
| 2010 to 2013 | TrueVisions | $68 | $22.7 |
However, Jasmine was not the inaugural pay-TV operator to secure Premier League rights at a significantly increased price to drive subscriptions and effect a major shift in Thailand’s sports media landscape.
At the end of 2012, pay-TV operator Cable Thai Holdings (CTH) acquired Premier League broadcast rights in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos for the subsequent three years, starting with the 2013-14 season.
Under the terms of the agreement, CTH held the live broadcast rights to all 380 games per season until the end of the 2015-16 season. At that time, CTH’s 300 cable TV operator members had a combined subscriber base of about 3.5 million, with the rights expected to accelerate the subscription of the pay-TV service to reach a goal of more than 7 million subscribers.
The CTH deal was worth a total of $293 million, or $97.7 million per season, marking an astounding 330% increase over the previous deal.
The subsequent cycle saw another new pay-TV broadcaster, BeIN Sports Asia, outbid both TrueVisions, which held Premier League rights from 2010-11 to 2012-13, and CTH, the rights-holder for the following three seasons.
Announced at the end of 2015, BeIN’s three-year deal covered the soccer league from 2016-17 to 2018-19 and was reportedly worth $250 million over the three years. Although the value per season was 15% lower than the previous deal, it was still considerably higher than the 2010-13 cycle.
For the following cycle, Premier League rights in Thailand, as well as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, were initially set to be acquired by social media giant Facebook under a deal agreed 12 months in advance, and worth a reported $250 million. However, it emerged that the two parties had been unable to finalize terms.
After two failed negotiations in a non-competitive environment, TrueVisions, the pay-TV operator owned by nationwide telecom operator True Corporation, secured exclusive Premier League rights in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos for the next three seasons, following the collapse of the regional agreement with Facebook.
The new contract, covering the 2019-20 to 2021-22 seasons, ensured that all 380 games each season would be broadcast across the TrueVisions, TrueMoveH, TrueOnline, and TrueID platforms. The deal was worth $125 million, or $41.6 million per season, a 50% decrease from the previous agreement.
TrueVisions renewed the Premier League rights in the three countries in a deal spanning from 2022-23 to 2024-25. The broadcaster offers comprehensive replays and highlights throughout the season, with TrueVisions providing Premier League action across six channels.
The Premier League secured an increase in value, with the deal worth $131 million over three seasons, or $43.7 million per season, representing a 5% increase in value.
