Contradictheory: Red button, blue button, who gets to watch the World Cup?

An archive photo from a 1982 qualifying World Cup match showing France's captain, Michel 'The King' Platini (right), and Netherlands' Johan Neeskens fighting for the ball. Back then some of the matches were proudly sponsored by the rakyat – can that happen this year? — AFP

Football's World Cup kicks off in about 40 days. The world will be watching, but whether this includes anyone in Malaysia is still an open question at the time of writing.

The latest update I have is that Telekom Malaysia is in talks with RTM to secure broadcasting rights. But even after some reduction from football’s governing body Fifa, the price tag of about US$35mil (RM166mil at the moment, amid fluctuating exchange rates) is too much, especially given the current uncertainty of the global economy.