A final ruling from the Central Administrative Court has reaffirmed that broadcast regulators cannot compel the 2014 FIFA World Cup be shown on free television.
The court ruled in favor of RS International Broadcasting and Sport Management who complained it had purchased the rights to televise the event before the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Center issued a rule that the World Cup be made available for free.
The commission’s rule mandated that top sporting events must be made available for free for all viewers nationwide, including all of the World Cup’s matches. The court didn’t overturn that rule, but said it could not apply to a deal already struck before it went into effect.
The commission will appeal the ruling, according to chairman Col. Natee Sukonrat, as all previous World Cups have been available for free and changing the system would now require viewers in Thailand to purchase the service for the first time ever, NNT reported.
Related:
Court: No free World Cup matches on TV
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