JTBC's financial woes cast doubt on World Cup broadcasts in South Korea

A foreign media report has raised doubts about whether South Korean viewers will be able to watch their national team's matches on television, after JTBC failed to pay part of its broadcasting rights fees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by the deadline.

Japan's TBS reported Monday that "there is a possibility that World Cup broadcasts will become unavailable in South Korea," saying JTBC — which holds the domestic broadcasting rights for the tournament — has not paid a portion of the fees owed to FIFA.

TBS News reported that JTBC filed for court receivership last week, and said the broadcaster has fallen into serious financial difficulty amid soaring rights fees and struggles to resell the broadcast rights to terrestrial networks.

South Korea's national team still has a chance to advance to the round of 32. But if JTBC ultimately fails to pay the outstanding fees and talks with FIFA collapse, South Korean football fans could face an unprecedented situation in which they are unable to watch their team's matches on television.

JTBC is believed to have secured the domestic broadcasting rights for the tournament for approximately $125 million. After acquiring the rights, the broadcaster entered resale negotiations with the three major terrestrial networks but encountered significant difficulties. Industry insiders suspect the financial burden of the World Cup rights deal was one of several factors that deepened the Joongang Group's fiscal strain.