The rise of online sports streaming in Thailand

The rise of online sports streaming in Thailand

There are over 20 million households watching television in Thailand today. This roughly translates to 30 million individuals glued to their TV screen. According to studies, the highest penetration can be found among upcountry urban households. In the last three years, cable, as well as satellite TV, has grown by as much as 90% in the last three years. But could this trend change in the near future?

Aside from cable and internet is also becoming a popular part of Thailand’s day to day life. Thailand’s population with the TV’s highest penetration rate is the same demographic with the largest access to Thailand’s internet connection.

In 2011, there was around 23.7% of the population connected online. 6 years later, more than 90% of internet users in Thailand are now relying on smartphones. 50.1% percent rely on desktop while 24.9% rely on their laptop. Because of the Thailand’s access to the World Wide Web, more people are looking for entertainment online rather than just sticking to the old cable and satellite subscription. Could this be sign of things to come for the satellite and cable industry in Thailand?

New kind of entertainment

There is a new kind of option on how Thailand is watching its favorite sports. This new option allows you to have the option where you want to watch your favorite game. Unlike the usual practice of relying on cable channels for their favorite sports, a lot of households are now relying on online sports streaming service providers as a way to follow their favorite sports, teams, and athletes.

Relying on the power of the internet, this concept has revolutionized the way we enjoy entertainment. Streaming services such as Netflix and iFlixhas changed the way we watch different programs. But unlike the usual streaming services that cater series and movies, sports streaming gives you access to a great number of sports that interest viewers.

Popularity of Online Sports Streaming in Thailand

Given the convenience that this service can provide, a great number of subscribers have now used this kind of service. And why not? Thailand is a country that loves sports. In fact, Thai sports fans follow a good number of football leagues. Given the number of games daily, it can be quite frustrating to find everything in one cable subscription.

Thailand has a good number of popular sports including basketball, boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, rugby union, and motorsports among many others. For a sports fan, online sports streaming is the most convenient option that allows them to enjoy different sports in one subscription.
What exactly makes the likes of beIN Sportsand other sports streaming services such a great option for sports fans? One, you can already enjoy one-year subscription for as little as $50 or around 1599 baht. That goes a long way especially for someone who loves to watch a good number of sports. If you will compare the price of cable subscription to online sports streaming service, you’ll be surprised that you will have to pay around 299 to 2,200 baht every month just to enjoy a subpar quality entertainment with cable. You can also enjoy different sports in one subscription.

And not only that, you will be able to enjoy over 600 hours of live games in a period of one month. You can also enjoy the games in HD quality. You can also enjoy watching your favorite sports using different game consoles ranging from Xbox One to PlayStation 3 and 4.

If you are the busy type who usually forgets games due to different things that you do in your day-to-day routine, sports streaming service providers offer alerts that allow you to never miss a game that you like to catch during the weekend or after work. And even if you missed it, you can still watch that game over again with its rewind feature.

Is it possible that cable and satellite subscription is going to decline over the next years? This can be a possibility in the near future if these industries fail to adapt. Given the popularity of Smart TV and devices that can connect the World Wide Web, viewers have so many options how to get their dose of entertainment. And most important of all, you get the best value for your money given the price range of these services.

It is important for cable and satellite to either lower their price or provide services at par with what sports streaming service providers offer. If they can’t keep up, it is possible that they could even decline in popularity over the next years to come.