[Photo: LITIA CAVA]

Pacific broadcasters are facing mounting pressure as the cost of sports and entertainment rights continues to climb.

Industry leaders say regional partnership is no longer optional but essential for survival.

The issue was raised during a CEO panel discussion at the Pacific Media Partnership Conference 2026 in Port Moresby, where media leaders examined the state of Pacific broadcasting and the challenges shaping the sector.

FBC TV General Manager Sitiveni Halofaki said the cost of acquiring sports and entertainment rights continues to rise, making it harder for broadcasters to remain financially viable.

He said FBC often negotiates content rights with the wider Pacific in mind rather than Fiji alone, but recovering those investments remains a challenge across diverse markets.

Halofaki said broadcasters must weigh every investment carefully. He said spending money on rights only makes sense if there is a realistic path to recovering costs and generating revenue.

He added that delivering content can be just as expensive as acquiring it, although internet-based technologies are helping reduce distribution costs across the region.

He revealed that FBC has been holding discussions with broadcasters throughout the Pacific on content-sharing arrangements and joint sports rights acquisitions.

Halofaki said stronger cooperation would allow broadcasters to make better use of limited resources while ensuring audiences continue to have access to major events and programmes.

Halofaki said Pacific broadcasters should begin viewing the region as a single market rather than a collection of small individual markets.

He said a united approach could create greater opportunities for broadcasters and strengthen their ability to compete with global streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon.

Fiji TV Chief Executive Officer Sunjeewa Perera also highlighted the commercial pressures facing broadcasters.

He said sponsors are now spread across multiple platforms, while audience interests vary between countries. Perera said broadcasters must carefully assess whether content rights investments can be recovered, particularly when some sporting events appeal to certain markets but not others.

Both executives agreed that deeper regional cooperation, shared content and joint rights purchases could help strengthen the sustainability of Pacific media organisations in an increasingly competitive media environment.

The discussion formed part of the CEO Panel on the state of Pacific media in 2026, moderated by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union News Director Indra Singh. Panellists included NBC Managing Director Kora Nou, VBTC Chief Executive Officer Francis Herman, SIBC Chief Executive Officer Johnson Honimae, FBC TV General Manager Sitiveni Halofaki, PCBL Chief Executive Officer Natasha Malaisea and Fiji TV Chief Executive Officer Sunjeewa Perera.

The Pacific Media Partnership Conference 2026 is being held in Port Moresby under the theme Resilient Voices: Empowering Blue Pacific Media.