A major Vietnamese telecom operator has revealed that K+ is demanding license fees nearly 10 times higher than what distributors currently earn from selling its pay-TV packages.

K+ argues that the current pricing undervalues its premium sports content, particularly the English Premier League, and does not allow partners to make sustainable profits.

According to Canal+’s H1 2025 business report, subscriber numbers and revenue in Vietnam dropped significantly after a wholesale contract was canceled, leading to an overall decline in the pay-TV business.

The report stated Canal+ is “carefully reassessing” its operations in Vietnam, noting: “We have reached a point where losses are too large and solutions are unclear. A major restructuring - or even a full withdrawal - may be necessary.”

Despite these concerns, K+ recently issued what partners are calling a “take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum.” The Vietnam Satellite Digital Television Company (VSTV), which operates under the K+ brand, sent an official notice to its pay-TV distribution partners in Vietnam.

The notice stressed that K+ content, especially Premier League matches and highlights, is currently spread across too many platforms, diluting its value. As a result, VSTV said access to this content must be restricted to fewer distributors.

The company also argued that pay-TV prices in Vietnam are “too low” - comparing the cost of a subscription to that of a cup of coffee - failing to reflect the value created by both content producers and distributors.

K+ said it is ready to restructure its distribution model, limiting partners while strengthening wholesale access to increase reach without sacrificing content quality. According to K+, this strategy would give its partners a stronger competitive edge, helping them attract new subscribers and retain existing ones.

One distributor disclosed that K+ has split its offerings into two packages: one for two distributors and another for three, with sharply increased wholesale fees.

The telecom operator told VietNamNet that K+’s proposed price hike is unsustainable under current market conditions, as it far exceeds what customers are willing to pay. “In reality, people buy K+ mainly for Premier League rights. The other channels hold little value. With this pricing, we’d have to raise consumer prices far too high, which is simply not feasible,” the source said.

Thai Khang