InTouch mulls joint bid for Premier League rights in Thailand

Thai media and technology conglomerate InTouch is planning a joint bid for English Premier League media rights, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper.

The league’s next rights tender will cover the three seasons from 2013-14 to 2015-16.

Somprasong Boonyachai, InTouch’s executive chairman, said that three companies, including media conglomerates GMM Grammy and RS, had approached InTouch with a view to forming a joint bid. He said the company would make a decision on the partner for its bid by the end of July.

Somprasong also said InTouch would be prepared to spend Baht1 billion (€25.3 million/$31.9 million) on the rights.

InTouch plans to exploit the rights on a new commercial digital-television channel. The company is preparing a bid for a channel licence. The licence is expected to be issued in August 2013.

GMM Grammy is reported to be also in talks with rival pay-television operator TrueVisions over a separate joint bid for the Premier League rights.