Regulator Rejects HOT and yes Request to Put World Cup Matches Behind a Paywall

Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council said on Wednesday that it has rejected requests by HOT and yes to approve pay-per-view broadcasts of about 44 FIFA World Cup matches, including group-stage and round-of-16 games, on Charlton channels only. The ruling applies only to cable and satellite providers under the council’s supervision, so it does not cover Cellcom, Partner, yes Plus, or HOT delivered outside the cable infrastructure.

According to the council, HOT and yes asked to air the matches on paid channels without a simultaneous free broadcast, even though the same games are available in the KAN app. The request followed an arrangement between the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, which bought the World Cup rights with public money, and Charlton, which transferred to Charlton the right to broadcast all World Cup matches. Under that deal, KAN itself will not air about 44 matches on its TV channels such as Kan 11 or Kan 33, and will show them only on its internet app.

The council said its sports broadcasting policy requires major sporting events, including the World Cup, to be available to all cable and satellite subscribers without extra charge. Because of that policy, any World Cup match on Charlton that is not also shown on KAN will be opened to all HOT cable and yes satellite subscribers.

Council chairwoman Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich said, “The World Cup games were bought by the corporation with public money, and the public should have access to all the games without payment. This has been the council’s policy for years, and as gatekeepers we found no reason to deviate from it. I hope that soon there will be equal regulation for all players in the sports field under Minister of Communications Karhi’s reform.”