The 2026 FIFA World Cup is passing entertainment for the public. It is not a gift to be bestowed by the president.
“IN this economy”—a phrase used sarcastically in response to difficult economic conditions—watching the World Cup 2026 on TVRI might very well serve as a source of public entertainment. Many of those matches being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico are being broadcast live on that state-owned television station when it is morning in Indonesia. So what if we stay up a little late once in a while? Happiness is what matters.
Watching the world’s best teams battle it out is certainly far healthier for the mind than tuning into speeches by this country’s officials, who still get a round of applause even when they blunder. Yet, some might still wonder: how does Indonesia, with its population of hundreds of millions, still fail to make it to this quadrennial tournament? And this is despite the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) bringing in over a dozen Dutch players under its naturalization program.
This little over a month of entertainment does not come cheap. TVRI paid Rp1.3 trillion for broadcasting rights, funded from the State Budget. By watching the televised games, the public can enjoy a return on the tax money they have paid to the state. So, at least, the public can obtain some entertainment from their hard-earned money. Never mind if the entertainment is occasionally disrupted by advertisements touting government achievements, after all, these live broadcasts were designed from the outset to campaign for President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programs.
Some might be tempted to compare the cost of these broadcasting rights with those of other nations. Indeed, the price tag was steeper than what other countries like India and China paid. It is up to law enforcement to investigate this matter and determine whether anyone profited from this transaction.
There is no need to be overly surprised if a narrative has been pushed that the live World Cup broadcast is a gift from the President to the people. This tactic has been used far too often by those in power. Social assistance, for example, is often labeled as assistance from the President, when in fact, the funds come from the State Budget. Similarly, when Prabowo purchased over 1,000 sacrificial cows for Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice), the funds were actually from the state coffers.
The President does have the right to use funds from the State General Treasurer’s Budget (BA BUN). These funds, this year amounting to Rp525 trillion, can be used to implement presidential directives or for certain emergencies. However, its use often lacks transparency and accountability, allowing the President to use the funds as he pleases.
Even with government funding, there is no guarantee that TVRI will profit, as advertisers are not very interested in promoting their products. This is because TVRI cannot broadcast live over-the-top or via the Internet. It should not overextend itself if it has insufficient infrastructure. They should leave it to the private stations.
However, the ship has already set sail. The public can enjoy live World Cup broadcasts up until the final match scheduled for July 19, 2026, assuming that the electricity supply remains stable and there is no need for rolling blackouts. It is indeed hard to be happy in a country that, as they say, is the happiest in the world.
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