BANGKOK (21 August 2016) – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has today signed an agreement with Thailand’s leading broadcaster, Bangkok Broadcasting & TV Co. (BBTV), providing BBTV with the exclusive terrestrial rights to broadcast the AFC’s portfolio of events in Thailand from 2017 to 2020.
The agreement grants BBTV the broadcasting rights in Thailand across 12 of the AFC’s top football competitions. These include FIFA World Cup 2018 Asian Qualifiers, the AFC Asian Cup 2019, the AFC Futsal Club Championships and the AFC Champions League.
“Thailand has a great passion for football”, said AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John. “The AFC wanted to ensure that we reach as many fans as we can, so to continue our long-standing partnership with BBTV was a logical decision. This deal provides another strong affirmation of the ever-growing appeal of the AFC competitions.
“Last year, the AFC Cup recorded a staggering 169 percent increase in cumulative viewers compared to the same event in 2014, while the 2015 AFC Champions League yielded a 30% increase in television viewership from the previous season. These figures underline the huge opportunity to increase fan engagement – not only in Thailand – which is a stated ambition in the AFC’s Vision and Mission.”
