Football Tribe SEA Editor
As Thai League fans are eager to see the competition resume, the nation’s Football Association has remained resolute in sticking to their September start date – even though it risks a row with their main broadcaster, True Visions.
According to this report from the Bangkok Post, television broadcaster True Visions wrote a letter to the Thai FA requesting the league to restart in just two weeks – a demand that the association understandably rejected.
Such an abrupt restart would, in the FA’s estimation, create more problems than it solves. For one, it would leave an incredibly short preparation time for players and teams after an extended break, and leave many sides without foreign players who are unable to enter the country due to the restrictions on international travel.
However, True Visions are also understandably concerned; their contract to broadcast the Thai League runs out at the end of 2020, and they are likely to be replaced by growing multinational broadcaster DAZN after this season.
This rift ultimately results from the fact that the Thai League is yet to extend its contract with True Visions to reflect the revised schedule, which now runs until May 2020. In the most recent development, it appears that the FA has offered a contract extension to True Visions which is set to run until the end of the season.
With the FA unwilling and largely unable to budge on their planned restart date for the Thai League, it remains to be seen now whether True Visions are willing to accept the terms of the new contract to settle this dispute.