Astro expressed its disappointment at not being able to be Malaysia’s primary broadcaster of the World Cup after doing so for the past 20 years.

Nonetheless, it said it is in talks with Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV, which obtained the rights, to explore airing the World Cup matches on Astro’s various platforms.

“This will significantly extend reach and accessibility to millions more Malaysians at home, on business premises and on mobile devices,” it said in a statement.

Astro sought to explain its World Cup bid that was rejected, saying the landscape for sports content had drastically changed in recent years, with higher financial investments needed due to inflation and pricier international sports broadcasting rights.

“Rampant piracy has also diminished the value of such rights to all legitimate platforms.”

The 2018 and 2022 World Cups, in particular, were widely pirated in Malaysia, it said.

“Additionally, match timings and the limited runway left to plan for meaningful campaigns with clients had further diminished the commercial value to justify a reasonable investment for shareholders or a price increase for our customers.”

Earlier today, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said national broadcaster RTM and Unifi TV were Malaysia’s official broadcasters of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Unifi TV will broadcast all matches live while RTM will screen most of the matches.