Media company Vietnam Multimedia Corporation has struck a late deal for rights in the country to the ongoing Asian Games.
VTC Digital Television, a VMC subsidiary, agreed a deal yesterday for rights to the 2018 multi-sport event with South Korean agency KJSM. KJSM is distributing Asian Games media rights in selected Asian and North America territories following a deal with INASGOC (the Indonesian Asian Games 2018 Organising Committee).
The VMC agreement is reported to be worth less than $2m, much lower than KJSM’s initial asking price of $10m but double the cost of rights to the last Asian Games in the country (in 2014). VMC is said to have been supported in acquiring the rights by conglomerate Vingroup and mobile network operator Viettel. Public-service broadcaster VTV pulled out of negotiations at the end of July citing a high asking price.
The deal runs from today (August 22) until the end of the event on September 2. The Games began on August 18. Coverage will be shown on the VTC1, VTC3 and VTC9 channels as well as mobile apps VTC Now and VOV Media.
Asian Games media-rights deals have also been struck in: Hong Kong with pay-television broadcaster i-Cable, thought to be worth about $2m (struck by Japanese agency Dentsu); South Korea with commercial broadcaster MBC; the Indian subcontinent with media company Sony Pictures Networks India; in Japan with public-service broadcaster NHK; in the Philippines with commercial broadcaster TV5; in Thailand with Workpoint TV; in Myanmar with pay-television broadcaster Eleven Sports; and in host country Indonesia with telco Emtek, which owns cable television operator SCTV and free-to-air channel Indosiar.