Broadcasters urged to reduce duplicate Asian Games coverage and show less popular sports

South Korean broadcasters have been asked not to fill multiple channels with the same Asian Games event while leaving other competitions difficult to watch. The Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission recommended staggered scheduling across channels and media platforms for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games.

The Games will run from September 19 to October 4. The recommendation seeks to protect broad public access by limiting excessive overlap in coverage, while allowing exceptions for events expected to draw particularly strong interest.

The opening and closing ceremonies, as well as competitions involving South Korea’s national team, may be broadcast simultaneously. The commission also called for active coverage of less popular sports and newly introduced events such as esports, so viewers interested in those competitions are not left without access.

The commission further encouraged broadcasters to expand coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, scheduled for October 18 to 24. Commission chairman Kim Jong-cheol said broadcasters should make a serious effort to ensure that the public can effectively exercise its right to watch the international event.

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The Asian Games are an international event that brings joy and emotion to the public, and I ask broadcasting rights holders to work to ensure that the public’s right to watch is genuinely protected.