Vietnamese media outlets reported on Thursday that the holder of the 2022 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights has offered an exorbitant price of US$15 million to Vietnamese broadcasters.

The reported rate is 30 percent higher than that for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The offerer was not identified in the reports.

An industry insider told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the actual total cost is expected to exceed $15 million owing to satellite costs, signal technology, contractor fees, and other taxes.

“In my opinion, the broadcasting rights should cost Vietnam between $5 million and $8 million, given the nation’s market size and economic status,” the expert said.

While expressing his approval for broadcasters to team up and acquire the broadcasting rights together, the expert said the idea may be impractical due to possible interest conflicts.

Meanwhile, a leader of a unit with experience in purchasing television rights of major tournaments said that he was not aware of the $15 million offer.

This unit and another company have been negotiating to buy the broadcasting rights of the global football showpiece.

“That price [$15 million] is much higher than what we were offered by foreign partners, who are in the process of negotiation with us,” the leader said.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is a football tournament scheduled to take place in November and December this year involving 32 men’s national teams from nations affiliated to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). 

The tournament will be broadcast in about 90 countries around the world.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines already won the rights to broadcast the 2022 FIFA World Cup with costs in each country kept undisclosed.

Infront Sports & Media is currently the company assigned by FIFA to sell the television rights to the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches.

Vietnam were eliminated from the final Asian qualification round of the tournament after suffering a seventh consecutive defeat of the campaign in January while there were still three matches left.

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