FIFA ASEAN Cup and Asiad Broadcasting Rights: Could Vietnamese Fans Miss Live Coverage?

Vietnamese football fans are facing the risk of being unable to watch live two major sporting events: the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 and the 20th Asian Games (Asiad). While the national team has finalized its training plans and prepared for a packed schedule, the broadcasting rights issue remains a big question mark. According to a leader of a major TV station, negotiations to acquire the broadcasting rights for the FIFA ASEAN Cup are in the final stage at a so-called reasonable price. However, the worrying fact is that currently no media entity in Southeast Asia holds the rights to this tournament. The complexity arises from FIFA directly organizing and controlling the rights instead of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) as before, making negotiations more difficult. The Vietnamese national team under coach Kim Sang Sik will enter the FIFA ASEAN Cup as defending champions. The scheduled matches are expected to take place from late September to early October. Specifically, the team will face the Philippines on September 26 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, Bandung (Indonesia), then meet Thailand three days later, and finish the group stage with a match against Pakistan on October 2 in Jakarta. Three matches in about a week pose a major challenge in terms of fitness and squad depth. Meanwhile, the 20th Asiad – a multi-sport event with 43 sports and 469 events – will open on September 19 and end on October 4, overlapping with the FIFA ASEAN Cup. Vietnam's sports delegation aims to win 4-6 gold medals and finish in the top 20 overall. However, the Asiad broadcasting rights are deadlocked. The TV station leader said the situation is "very difficult" with no positive progress, meaning fans may have to say goodbye to live images from the continental arena. A notable point is the difference in negotiation structure. For the FIFA ASEAN Cup, the purchase plan is expected to be redistributed to local stations – a familiar model that reduces financial pressure on the primary buyer. In contrast, Asiad rights are usually sold as multi-sport packages, with much higher costs and harder to recoup if broadcast only in a single market like Vietnam. Vietnamese fans have high expectations for the team following their recent ASEAN title. Not being able to watch important matches live is not only disappointing but also affects the bond between the team and its supporters. Pressure is mounting on negotiators who must balance between a reasonable price and the public's demand for wide access. From a strategic perspective, FIFA directly managing the FIFA ASEAN Cup rights is a systemic change. This could raise the price of rights and reduce flexibility for local broadcasters. Meanwhile, Asiad with its large scale and high costs poses a difficult problem for Vietnamese television, where the advertising and pay-TV markets are not yet strong enough to compensate. Despite this, a positive signal is that a major TV station is "close to finalizing" the FIFA ASEAN Cup rights, showing that negotiations are on the right track. If successful, fans will have the opportunity to watch the team's matches live on television and digital platforms. However, Asiad remains a big question mark, and it is likely that Vietnamese audiences will only be able to watch compilation news or replays instead of live competitions. The Vietnamese national team remains focused on preparing for the upcoming tournaments, despite the uncertainty over broadcasting rights. The training schedule has been finalized, and coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will enter the final stretch. The question is: when will fans see coach Kim and his team play on their screens?