Myanmar fans seek alternatives as military-linked platform wins World Cup rights

Myanmar football fans were choosing between watching the World Cup and refusing to fund a company tied to the military after FIFA named Mytel’s TV360 as the country’s official broadcaster on May 25. The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on June 11 with 48 teams, 16 host cities and 104 matches.

FIFA had launched invitations to tender for Myanmar media rights on September 16, 2025, with bids due October 14, 2025, before selecting TV360 after the open process. TV360 is Mytel’s digital streaming platform, and Mytel is jointly owned by Myanmar Economic Corporation, Viettel and Myanmar National Telecom Holdings. Viettel, which holds a 49 percent stake, is controlled by Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence.

Justice For Myanmar and Burma Campaign UK condemned the deal, accusing FIFA of failing in its human-rights due diligence. The U.S. Department of Commerce sanctioned Mytel in January 2025 for providing surveillance services and financial support to Burma’s military regime. Myanmar Economic Corporation has also been sanctioned by the United States, Britain, the European Union, Canada and Australia. Justice For Myanmar calls Mytel a key pillar of the military’s business network, giving the junta revenue and surveillance capabilities, and estimates the armed forces could earn more than US$700 million over 10 years from the company.

On Facebook, Myanmar users have been urging football fans to boycott TV360, warning that subscription money would flow back to the military. Others have been sharing free international stream links and VPN guides, while some will not watch at all. A separate group argues that fans can still follow the tournament through other platforms without putting money into Mytel.