Premier League copyright, a hot issue for the 2026-2028 seasons

The value of Premier League copyright in Vietnam has never cooled down. When the market enters the 2026-2028 period, the biggest question that arises is which unit is capable of holding and exploiting it without incurring losses?

Since the 2000s, Vietnam has purchased the copyright of the English Premier League (EPL) for only a few hundred thousand USD. But since K+ appeared in 2010, the price has skyrocketed, turning the tournament into the most expensive content package on the market. In the international context, the value of the EPL copyright continues to escalate, making it impossible for Vietnam to stay out of the game.

Increasing copyright value and regional comparison

Estimated figures from previous cycles show a clear trend: 2010–2013, the price was around 30–40 million USD, 2013–2016 around 41 million USD, 2016–2019 around 46 million USD, 2019–2022 around 48 million USD. In just over 10 years, the total amount K+ spent on NHA was approximately 150 million USD (more than 3,955 billion VND). The 2022–2025 cycle has not been announced, but experts believe that the copyright package in Vietnam could exceed 50 million USD/3 seasons.

Premier League copyright is growing rapidly in Vietnam

In the region, a unit in Thailand spent nearly 560 million USD (about 14,769 billion VND) for the 3-season NHA package, including Cambodia and Laos. On average, about 93 million USD/year, or 280 million USD (more than 7,384 billion VND) per 3 seasons. With a huge number of NHA fans, the copyright price in Vietnam is expected to not be as "cheap" as before. NHA's valuation of Southeast Asia is getting higher and higher, and Vietnam is certainly in the key market group.

Who can own the copyright and the challenges ahead

The three biggest competitors today and those capable of participating in the copyright race includeFPT , VTVcab and Viettel.

With FPT, the unit that owns the FPT Play brand and a complete technology ecosystem - CDN - cloud - OTT app, this unit is famous for producing a series of major tournaments such as UEFA Champions League, V-League, AFC Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup 2024, SEA Games, ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024... With the advantage of a young user base, familiar with watching OTT with a large IPTV user system and the ability to handle anti-illegal sharing, device limitations, watermarking, this is a formidable unit in the copyright race.

Vietnamese fans are very interested in the Premier League.

In early November 2025, VTVcab expressed its desire to own the copyright of NHA for the period 2026-2028, receiving the attention of fans. With the advantage of the largest cable network in the country, strong production capacity, a large team of commentators and experts along with the developed ON/ON+ ecosystem, VTVcab is expected to be the next unit to broadcast NHA.

Viettel is certainly a name that cannot be ignored in major tournament copyright deals. Possessing the TV360 application, a huge mobile subscriber base, a widespread network infrastructure, and proof of strong financial capacity when owning the EURO 2024 copyright, Viettel is probably an interesting unknown in the NHA copyright war.

Other units such as SCTV and VNPT still have a position but it is difficult to break out. And no matter which unit it is, the biggest challenge is how to exploit it without loss and how to fight illegal websites, which have become ingrained in the behavior of a part of the fans. Not only buying copyright, but the copyright holder must also invest several million USD each season to produce accompanying content. This is a problem that any unit has to solve.

In a broader view, the NHA copyright story is not just about who can buy it, but whether Vietnam can keep it or not. Whether fans are willing to pay a reasonable fee, whether the station has enough production capacity, and whether the television ecosystem has enough infrastructure to combat copyright infringement, these are the decisive questions. In the period 2026-2028, NHA will continue to be the most expensive content package, but it is also an opportunity for television units to affirm their position. If used well, NHA copyright will not only bring profit, but also keep the hearts of Vietnamese fans.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ban-quyen-ngoai-hang-anh-bai-toan-nong-bong-cac-mua-20262028-185251203172037116.htm