Subtitled News: Will World Cup Broadcasts Be Cut Off After Round of 32? The Truth Behind "JTBC Failed to Pay Broadcasting Fees"

With the South Korean national football team's final group stage match against South Africa just one day away, reports have emerged suggesting that even if Korea advances to the Round of 32, viewers may no longer be able to watch the World Cup matches.

Japanese media outlet TBS reported exclusively on June 23 that "it has been confirmed that the South Korean broadcaster JTBC has failed to pay a portion of its broadcasting rights fees to FIFA for the ongoing World Cup in North and Central America."

The report further explained, "If payment is not made by the deadline, there is a concern that TV broadcasts for matches from the Round of 32, which begins on June 29, will not be permitted."

TBS stated, "A representative from JTBC has traveled to FIFA headquarters in Switzerland and is currently in negotiations to ensure that broadcasts can continue."

JTBC secured the broadcasting rights for the World Cup in South Korea for this tournament and has been airing all matches on television.

However, as JTBC has recently faced a crisis, including declaring a default after failing to repay 20.6 billion won in securitized loans, rumors have been circulating that the World Cup broadcasts could be cut off.

JTBC had filed for court receivership but has since submitted a request to postpone the decision and expressed its intention to participate in an autonomous restructuring support program.

Many point out that the burden of World Cup broadcasting rights for JTBC was a foreseeable issue.

It is known that JTBC secured the World Cup broadcasting rights from FIFA for approximately 125 million U.S. dollars, or about 191.9 billion Korean won. To reduce the excessive burden of these fees, the network entered into negotiations with the three major terrestrial broadcasters, including KBS.

However, as they failed to narrow their differences over the price of the broadcasting rights, it was ultimately decided that only KBS would participate in the broadcasts.

Regarding the Japanese media report that World Cup broadcasts could be suspended, JTBC stated that it plans to broadcast all matches, including those of the South Korean national team, through to the World Cup final in North and Central America without any disruptions.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.