Astro: We tried but failed to get the 2026 World Cup broadcasting rights

Following news that Malaysia finally has an official broadcaster for the 2026 World Cup in the form of Unifi TV and RTM, the leading satellite broadcaster in Malaysia, Astro, has now issued a statement saying that they did in fact bid for the 2026 World Cup rights.

In a press release by Astro, the broadcaster claimed that they did in fact attempt a ‘fair and competitive bid’ for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, but it was not accepted in the end. Nevertheless, they added that they wish success to the next set of broadcasters, and that they remain in discussions with rights holders for World Cup matches to also be broadcast on their platforms. This includes Astro, Sooka and NJOI, their free-to-air service. This would then help extend the reach and accessibility of the 2026 World Cup to more Malaysians.

Astro also pointed out that the landscape for premium sports content has changed significantly in recent years. They mention rising costs due to inflation and escalating international sports broadcasting rights fees, needing higher financial investment to secure them. Curiously, they also noted that the 2018 and 2022 World Cup were ‘extensively pirated’ in Malaysia.

It also doesn’t help that with the World Cup being held in North America, matching timings and the short run up to the tournament further diminished the commercial value of bringing the World Cup broadcasting rights back to Astro.

It remains to be seen if Astro will be able to finalise a deal to bring the 2026 World Cup to its platform. Astro has previously been able to showcase all World Cup matches in Malaysia since 2006, but is now at risk of not being able to showcase even one match live on air.

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