VIENTIANE, Laos — 8 June 2026, the Lao News Agency (KPL) reported that Laos has secured the broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing viewers across the country to watch all 104 matches free of charge, while negotiations over television rights in Thailand remain unresolved.
Telecommunications company Star Telecom, commonly known as Unitel, has reached an agreement with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to secure the official broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July.
Every single match, totaling 104 matches, will be broadcast live free of charge with Lao-language commentary through the LaoTV platform.
In addition, Lao citizens will also have access to match replays of every single match and instant highlight clips anytime and anywhere via mobile devices and online services. At the same time, Unitel plans to invest in producing in-depth news coverage programs, as well as pre-match and post-match analysis and discussion shows.
Meanwhile, the company will also hold exclusive control over public screening rights across Laos, including fan zones, restaurants, pubs, bars, shopping centres and other public venues. Organisers wishing to stage public viewings must obtain permission from Unitel.
Therefore, Laos joins a growing list of Southeast Asian countries that have already secured the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasting rights, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Malaysia. The only ASEAN nations yet to secure the rights are Thailand, Myanmar and Brunei.
In Thailand, private sector representative like Jasmine International, commonly known as JAS, is currently engaging in late-stage negotiations with FIFA over the rights package. JAS is aiming for a price closer to the US$15 million fee paid by Vietnam, while FIFA has previously insisted an asking price of about US$40 million, or more than 1.3 billion baht, which prevented an agreement from being reached.
However, according to a report from a Thai football guru, Yingrak Raksuwan, he wrote posted on his Facebook page, BubbleYingrak, stating that Thai people would “definitely” be able to watch the 2026 World Cup, citing this confirmation from his inside sources. If this turns out wrong, He will be embarrassed. As a result, fans are keeping a suspenseful watch on whether Thai viewers will get to watch this tournament, and whether it will be free-to-air, pay-per-view, or distributed through some other model.