Thailand’s broadcasting sector is set to embrace a new national streaming platform, a move unanimously approved in principle by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board on June 22. This initiative, part of the third Digital TV Master Plan, aims to ensure continued universal access to public-interest content, including news, emergency information, educational programs, cultural features, and significant national events, even as traditional broadcasting methods evolve.
Strategic Shift to Digital Infrastructure
The development of this national streaming platform is a strategic response to the evolving media landscape and changing audience behaviors. Mrs. Pirongrong, who oversees the broadcasting sector, highlighted that the platform represents critical digital public infrastructure. It is designed to reduce Thailand’s reliance on global digital platforms and a limited number of telecommunications operators that increasingly influence how audiovisual content is discovered and consumed.
This plan comes as terrestrial digital TV broadcasters face the expiry of their licenses in 2029. The NBTC board’s approval provides a framework for these broadcasters to distribute their content via a unified streaming service, ensuring their content remains accessible to the public.
Understanding Shifting Audience Habits
The rationale behind the national streaming platform is deeply rooted in recent audience surveys. The 2025 Radio and TV Audience Survey, conducted by the National Statistical Office and the NBTC, interviewed 31,500 respondents nationwide. While 83.7% of Thais still engage with TV programming, direct viewing via the digital terrestrial broadcasting system has dropped to 39.2%. Satellite TV remains a significant platform at 48.4%, but internet-based viewing through websites and mobile applications has surged to 46.7%.
These figures indicate a migration of viewers to new platforms rather than an abandonment of TV content. The survey revealed that individuals under 43 predominantly use the internet for viewing. Although 90.4% of viewers still follow traditional broadcast schedules, many now do so via smart TVs, websites, and streaming apps, bypassing traditional rooftop antennas.
Catch-Up Content and Device Usage
The trend of “catch-up” viewing, where audiences watch programs after their initial broadcast, is also prominent, with 33.8% of respondents engaging in this practice. Smartphones are the primary device for this, accounting for 87.7% of viewing. YouTube is the dominant platform in this segment, attracting 85.2% of catch-up viewers, illustrating its evolution from a competitor to a key distribution channel for traditional TV content.
Crucially, TV news continues to show strong audience demand, with 90% of live TV viewers and 68.9% of online viewers seeking it out. This underscores that reliable news remains a significant competitive advantage for free-to-air broadcasting.
The Rise of Connected TVs (CTVs)
Another significant trend is the rapid adoption of Connected TVs (CTVs), also known as smart TVs. Data from NBTC officials indicates that 88% of TV sets sold in Thailand in 2024 were internet-enabled. This shift fundamentally alters how viewers discover and access television services.
CTVs are largely controlled by operating system providers like Samsung, LG, and Google TV. These entities act as digital gatekeepers, influencing the availability of applications, content prioritization, user data collection, and targeted advertising. This concentration of control highlights the need for a national platform to ensure continued public access and choice.
International Models and Financial Sustainability
Mrs. Pirongrong pointed to international examples of national television streaming platforms. The UK’s Freely, launched in 2024, aggregates content from public service broadcasters within a unified electronic program guide. In Vietnam, VTVgo serves as the official national TV streaming platform, with smart TV manufacturers mandated to pre-install the application, ensuring widespread accessibility.
Regarding financial models, Mrs. Pirongrong emphasized that a Thai national TV platform should prioritize free public access. International experience suggests subscription-based models are less likely to succeed, especially given Thai consumers’ long-standing expectation that free-to-air television should remain free. Sustainable funding could come from advertising revenue, public funding, or shared industry financing.
Benefits for Consumers and Broadcasters
Consumers stand to be the primary beneficiaries. A single application offering seamless access to all free-to-air channels would simplify content discovery and preserve universal access as traditional terrestrial viewing declines. TV operators would gain direct audience engagement without sole reliance on global technology firms or telecom providers.
Economies of scale could also be realized through shared infrastructure, reducing duplicated investments in content delivery networks, user interfaces, advertising technology, and audience analytics. The proposed model favors an industry-wide partnership involving government, broadcasters, telecommunications operators, and civil society, rather than a purely government-run platform, to foster a more robust and sustainable digital broadcasting ecosystem.
A Strategic Policy Decision
Ultimately, the development of the national streaming platform is framed as a strategic policy decision. It addresses who should control the digital gateway to trusted public information in the internet age. The initiative seeks to balance market competition, public interest, cultural sovereignty, and the long-term credibility of Thailand’s national media system.
While the NBTC board has approved the national streaming plan in principle, the digital TV broadcasting roadmap requires further detailed consideration and study over the next 30 days.
