Prize Money Cut, Broadcast Deals in Doubt: FIFA ASEAN Cup Faces Fresh Questions

XtraTime Webdesk: The inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup is set to start from 24 September 2026. But according to some reports before the the start the ASEAN Cup is facing some major setback. As it is is reported that the FIFA ASEAN Cup is facing some growing commercial issues.

Initially it was reported that the price money will be USD 1 million for the Division 1 champions, and the overall prize pool was expected to increase by USD 4 million. Howey, a few recent reports suggests that the champions prize money will be reduced to USD 650,000, which means around USD 350,000 money will be deducted. Also, the previous match win bonus has been removed. However, no official confirmation about deduction has not been public yet.

It seems like the broadcasting of the ASEAN Cup 2026 is emerging as a major concern. According to some reports of Thailand and Vietnam, FIFA had been seeking around USD 3 million for broadcast rights in those regional markets, with broadcasters reluctant to commit that price.

Reports are saying that Indonesia has secured the media rights through the Emtek Media Group. The Indonesian media outlet Indosiar Sports announced that every match featuring Indonesia's national team in the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 will be broadcast live through some platforms and television channels including Indosiar, SCTV, Vidio, Moji, and Nex, all managed by Emtek Media Group. However , the exact amount paid for the broadcast rights has not been disclosed.

The core reason for the money reduction seems because of the absence of India and China from the ASEAN Cup. These two countries were the potential markets that were linked with the tournament.

FIFA had positioned the competition as a stage to promote and strengthen the football in the regions of Asia, however, it's long term success will depend on audience interest, commerical viability, and more.