Vietnam, which is sending 16 athletes to compete in 11 sports at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is one of only two Southeast Asian countries without broadcasting rights for the global event due to high costs, while fan interest in the Games is low.

The other country without broadcasting rights for the 2024 Olympics, which runs until August 11, is Laos.

The other nine Southeast Asian countries secured the rights, though most did so at the last minute.

Malaysia obtained its broadcasting rights in May, Singapore in early July, and Thailand at the last possible moment right before the opening ceremony.

‘Exorbitant price’

A common challenge is the rising cost of television rights because of the commercialization of sports. 

“As we negotiate television rights, the main hurdle remains the escalating costs, coupled with ineffective exploitation and unsold advertising,” a representative from a Vietnamese TV station with many international tournament rights told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“We struggle to sell advertising to cover the costs of acquiring the broadcasting rights to even high-profile tournaments like the UEFA Euro Championship and FIFA World Cup.

“In comparison, interest in the Olympics is relatively small.”

On Tuesday, another TV station executive also told Tuoi Tre about a strong desire to acquire the Olympic broadcasting rights but stated that the prohibitive cost made it unaffordable. 

“Recently, we’ve been asked why we didn’t purchase the 2024 Olympic broadcasting rights,” he said. 

“Television stations and media companies definitely want to own these rights, but the exorbitant price is the biggest obstacle."

He explained that the peak competition times of the Paris Olympics are scheduled for late night to early morning in Vietnam, which limits viewer numbers compared to the Euro or World Cup.

"Investing such a large sum is challenging when there’s no clear revenue to offset the cost," he said.

"There’s no state budget available for purchasing Olympic, Asian, or Southeast Asian Games rights, so it’s a matter of ‘losing the profits while shouldering the losses.'"

He used to hope that major sports copyright corporations in Vietnam might secure the Olympic rights and consider sharing the broadcast. However, even these businesses were unable to make the purchase.

Another TV representative mentioned that rampant copyright infringement in Vietnam also poses a significant concern, aside from the high cost and lack of compensatory revenue.

“A company invests tens of millions of dollars in broadcasting rights, only to face theft and uncontrollable piracy, leading to substantial losses,” he said.

A representative from a sports copyright firm added that they chose not to buy the rights out of the lack of a sufficiently skilled production team needed for the complex, large-scale event involving 32 sports, in addition to the high price.

Lukewarm interest

“The 2024 Olympic broadcasting rights would be great, but if we don’t get them, it’s not a huge issue,” Nguyen Van Quan, a 36-year-old office worker, remarked. 

“There’s a bit of regret, mainly driven by national pride, especially when comparing ourselves to other countries in the region. 

“However, it’s clear that the 2024 Olympics are beyond the reach of Vietnamese sports. 

“Watching the Olympics often feels like just watching world athletes compete, and the competition times aren’t very convenient.”

Similarly, Tran Ngoc Thanh Minh, a middle school teacher, agreed that the Olympics are at a level too high for Vietnamese sports. 

He understands the hesitation of TV stations in acquiring the broadcasting rights, emphasizing the need for a solution to secure them for future events. 

“It’s not just about whether the Olympics are beyond our reach; there’s a genuine need for viewers to have access to the Games broadcasting.”

In Thailand, half of the US$11.2 million in royalties for the Paris 2024 Olympics was covered by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission, while the other half was funded by the National Sports Development Fund with financial support from businesses.

A total of six broadcasters in Thailand have been granted the rights to broadcast the event.

A total of 16 Vietnamese athletes qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, namely cyclist Nguyen Thi That, markswomen Trinh Thu Vinh and Le Thi Mong Tuyen, boxers Vo Thi Kim Anh and Ha Thi Linh, weightlifter Trinh Van Vinh, canoeist Nguyen Thi Huong, rower Pham Thi Hue, badminton players Le Duc Phat and Nguyen Thuy Linh, archers Le Quoc Phong and Do Thi Anh Nguyet, judoka Hoang Thi Tinh, runner Tran Thi Nhi Yen, and swimmers Nguyen Huy Hoang and Vo Thi My Tien.

The delegation retains little chance of winning a medal following the defeats of two key medal hopefuls -- markswoman Trinh Thu Vinh in the women’s 10m air pistol event and swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang in the men’s 800m freestyle.

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