MS Explains: Why is watching the World Cup on TV so ‘expensive’?
World Cup fever has once again taken the world by storm after four long years, and Singapore is no exception.
For some die-hard football fans here, paying S$118 for a subscription to catch all 104 matches live was a no-brainer.
Others, however, have pointed out that some of our regional neighbours are receiving the broadcast for a nominal fee or even free of charge.
As it turns out, much goes on behind the scenes between local broadcasters and FIFA, football’s global governing body.
Here’s how subscription fees and the cost of World Cup broadcasting rights have changed over the decades.
Subscription fee for Singapore viewers is 4.5 times more than that in 2006
There was once a time when those in Singapore could watch the World Cup for the price of dinner.
20 years ago, in 2006, StarHub charged subscribers only S$26.25.
Back then, the Singaporean company secured broadcast rights from FIFA for S$6.2 million.
Source: Cushman and Wakefield
However, four years later, StarHub and Singtel made a staggering joint offer of S$19 million.
This came after the telcos claimed that FIFA had asked for an “unreasonable” amount of money.
Source: TODAY via NewspaperSG
In the end, subscribers in Singapore paid as much as S$94 to watch their favourite teams in action.
This was the steepest price hike, as subscription fees would increase by only about S$24 between 2010 and 2026, despite the cost of broadcasting rights continuing to rise.
The cost of World Cup broadcasting rights for media partners varies greatly
Over the years, Singapore’s telcos have either shared the cost of broadcasting rights or won exclusive bids.
In 2014, Singtel won the bid for an undisclosed sum, allegedly higher than the S$19 million in 2010.
Source: Google Maps
The cost would increase again in 2018, with Singtel, StarHub, and Mediacorp paying an estimated S$25 million.
In 2022, the cost of World Cup broadcasting rights was in “an excess” of S$25 million, according to a report by The Straits Times.
It is unclear how much Mediacorp paid this year, but experts say this is FIFA’s most lucrative World Cup yet.
Source: Mediacorp
According to data and analytics firm Ampere, total revenue from the 2026 World Cup can reach US$6 billion (S$7.7 billion).
And of this number, US$3.8 billion is from media rights alone.
This year, FIFA has secured media partnerships in more than 220 territories worldwide.
Among the biggest spenders is the American network Fox, which paid a whopping US$485 million (S$628 million) for broadcasting rights.
Source: Yardbarker.com
Reports indicate that FIFA adjusts its asking price for each country, taking into account factors such as domestic demand.
However, this sometimes leads to inflated figures and stalled discussions with some countries, such as Singapore back in 2010.
China, India, and Thailand are among those which faced issues over broadcasting rights this year.
More expensive to watch World Cup here than in other regional countries
Closer to home, Australia’s SBS paid S$26.8 million to secure World Cup broadcasting rights.
In comparison, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV won the bid following the Malaysian government’s RM24 million (S$7.4 million) budget.
Football fans in these two countries are paying much less than their counterparts in Singapore to watch the World Cup.
In Australia, all 104 matches are completely free to watch on TV.
Australia’s unique anti-siphoning scheme under its Broadcasting Services Act 1992 allows the public to easily access significant sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics.
Source: SBS
In Malaysia, subscription fees range from RM12 (S$3.70) to RM60 (S$18.70), depending on the package bought.
On the flip side, viewers in Thailand have drawn the short end of the stick regionally.
They face a THB5,999 (S$234) subscription fee after broadcaster JAS paid FIFA US$70 million (S$90.2 million) for World Cup broadcasting rights.
Highest number of free-to-air matches on Singapore TV in a decade
Although some fans in Singapore may lament the comparatively higher cost of watching football here, there are some points of consolation.
This year, there are 28 free-to-air matches on local television, compared with single-digit numbers from 2014 to 2022.
Fans here are able to watch 24 group stage matches, both the semi-finals, the third/fourth place match, and the highly anticipated final on Channel 5 and Mediacorp’s digital streaming platform, mewatch.
And if you’re up for a late-night snack with friends while watching some free football, 16 McDonald’s outlets are also screening live matches.
Also read: Mediacorp to screen FIFA World Cup 2026, with 28 free-to-air matches
Mediacorp to screen FIFA World Cup 2026, with 28 free-to-air matches
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Featured image adapted from Magnific and SounderBruce on Wikipedia.
