CityNews—An administrative court has ruled that RS sports, who owns the production rights of the World Cup games, will be able to charge Football fans in Thailand to watch 42 out of the 64 matches.
RS Sports, who originally planned to charge upwards of THB 1,590 to Football fans to have access to all 64 games, were thwarted by Thailand’s regulating body, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), under a ‘Must-Have’ clause that lists seven programs, including the World Cup, as ones that must remain free-to-air.
Under scrutiny from the NBTC, who planned to fine RS Sports THB 17 million for their lack of compliance with the ‘Must-Have’ clause, RS Sports responded by persecuting the former. An administrative court ruled that the ‘Must-Have’ clause violated the Intellectual Protection Act and has permitted RS Sports to charge fans for a majority of the games, requiring that 22 of the less crucial ones be aired free in Thailand.