"We did not discuss only the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, but agreed in principle to hold discussions on carrying all of JTBC's broadcast rights (for the Olympics and the World Cup) under new conditions through a joint broadcast arrangement. It was a meaningful meeting that carried seeds of hope in a pessimistic situation. It was scathing, but we are not letting go of the thread of hope."
Broadcasting, Media and Communications Chairperson Kim Jong-cheol said at a press briefing marking 100 days in office at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 30th, "As for universal viewing rights, you may know there is no visible outcome to present today regarding this South and Central America World Cup, but a forward-looking foundation was laid at this morning's meeting (attended by the presidents of JTBC and KBS, MBC and SBS)." That morning, Kim held a meeting at an undisclosed location in Seoul with KBS President Park Jang-beom, MBC President Ahn Hyeong-jun, SBS President Bang Moon-shin and JTBC President Jeon Jin-bae on broadcast rights for the North and Central America World Cup, but it was reported to have ended without meaningful progress in the negotiations.
Kim said, "(Today's meeting) was not without results, as we agreed to try to move the World Cup broadcast-rights negotiations a bit further as a first step toward a forward-looking start," but added, "However, there are diverse interests, including the broadcasters, so it is not merely a matter of values. It is also true that financial losses are foreseen, so the outlook is not entirely bright."
JTBC purchased the broadcast rights in 2019 for all Olympics and World Cups to be held from 2026 to 2032. JTBC initially launched an open bid to resell the rights to the three terrestrial broadcasters (KBS, MBC and SBS), but as no agreement was reached in the negotiation process, JTBC alone aired the Winter Olympics on TV. As the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics ended as a "record-breaking ratings flop," criticism has mounted that JTBC's overreach for broadcast rights, without understanding its broadcasting environment, infringed on the public's universal viewing rights. With the broadcast-rights issue approaching in two months for the "2026 North and Central America World Cup," the government is also moving to prevent exclusive broadcasting.
Kim said, "Given that, under broadcasting law and institutions, universal viewing rights are a public task that is not left solely to the market, negotiations must be conducted at the public's eye level." Introduced through a 2007 amendment to the Broadcasting Act, "universal viewing rights" are a legal right that guarantees that anyone can in practice watch major events of high public interest, such as the World Cup and the Olympics, regardless of income or place of residence.
Kim said, "Although broadcasters compete under a free-market economy, the standard should be to compete through solidarity to achieve broadcasting's public task of universal viewing rights together," adding, "(Broadcasters) should not talk only about the economic losses from rights fees; please work to ensure that (negotiations) take place on the foundation of the principle of public responsibility and the value of solidarity that your organizations hold." He added, "I hope that, through joint solidarity to establish viewing rights, the forward-looking foundation can be gauged in the form of a consortium going forward."
On Feb. 24, President Lee Jae-myung noted at a Cabinet meeting that access for the public must be "broadly guaranteed" for international events such as the Olympics and the World Cup, and mentioned the need for institutional improvements. Experts see resolving exclusive broadcast rights as the first test for Chairperson Kim.
Kim said regarding the issue of network usage fees, "It has been a highly contentious task in the industry for more than 15 years." He said, "From a purely domestic perspective, you could look only at the domestic network segment. However, in relation to networks connected worldwide, it is very difficult to determine to what extent responsibility for infrastructure build-out should be borne proportionally," adding, "It is not that anyone has absolute value superiority; we will work to set the stage so that (companies) can reach an agreement."
Regarding Netflix taking the live broadcast rights for BTS's recent comeback concert, Kim said, "The media environment can no longer be addressed by domestic factors alone; it must be premised on a global environment, and we need a strategic perspective on what means can stably transmit world-class content simultaneously," adding, "A broad understanding of the changed environment is needed, so it should not be viewed only negatively."
On whether a systemic foundation should be prepared to protect intellectual property rights in light of the strong possibility that news articles, photos and video materials from media outlets could be used as AI training data without the outlets knowing, he said, "If video data were compensated for as intellectual property, it could be a way to resolve the financial difficulties broadcasters face, but at the same time, if (compensation) is overemphasized, there could be obstacles in a situation where the accumulation of technology is important," adding, "The Presidential Committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution is discussing the basic direction, and we are also participating to seek a reasonable plan."
Kim viewed that, after the commission is formed, administrative matters in the broadcasting, media and communications sector, including the three broadcasting laws, will likely be the first items to be handled.