Given that over 75 percent of Vietnam’s 100 million people have a great interest in football and with its popularity creating interest from rivalries across the globe within South East Asia, there has been much attention to the international football derbies in South East Asia as a result of the sport being broadcast throughout Europe and other parts of the world and also due to the fact that the region is known for their love of competition and high viewship numbers.
The Continuing Influence of the EPL in Vietnam
Over 80 percent of urban sports fans in Vietnam watch the Premier League, which is the most popular football league in the country. In cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, large numbers of football fans will often get together to watch Premier League games, or "watch parties". Among the most well known Premier League matches is the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. The North London derby match-up has become an extremely popular event in Vietnam that fans look forward to throughout the year. Another reason for the rise in popularity of the Premier League in Vietnam is due to fans viewing the Premier League matches in real-time. Many fans who are watching the Premier League matches will also be using the MelBet betting app to monitor the games while they are being played and see live statistics on their mobile device. The MelBet app attracts a wide audience, 80 percent of users are less than 45 years old. The English Premier League is so popular in Vietnam because of the fast paced and technically challenging nature of the game.
Main reasons why the Premier League is so popular:
They have been on the national TV channels since the late 1990s.
There are plenty of official supporter branches for the 'Big Six' clubs in all 63 provinces.
Matches are played during prime time hours in the Indochina Time Zone.
Local telecommunication companies in the Indochina region have been investing in broadcasting rights for HD content.
Spanish El Clásico and its Rivals in Europe
Although English football has the highest number of fans, Spanish football has remained relevant due to the age-old El Clásico. This year, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona’s rivalry spans over 600 million people worldwide. In Vietnam, this match has been loved due to the artistry and global celebrity of the two clubs.
New broadcasting rights agreements entered into by Vietnamese broadcasters since 2025 have opened opportunities for the masses to enjoy live coverage of football games. The recent agreement between VTV9 and VTVcab provides free-to-air television coverage of Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 soccer matches, providing for the first time in a number of years that this content is available to view on free-to-air television.
Technological Integration in Modern Viewership
A second-screen phenomenon has become increasingly popular among Vietnamese sports fans. The use of a second screen, including a mobile device app, such as the MelBet app, while watching sports on TV, provides fans with additional information on the game they are watching, allows them to communicate with other fans who are also watching the same event, and can provide fans with live match statistics and scores. In total, approximately 30% of fans use multiple screens while watching sports events. The increased use of second screens indicates a trend toward greater interaction among fans while watching games and further signals a transition away from the more traditional one-way passive broadcasting model toward a more interactive model of fan participation with real-time data. This is a significant change in how future generations will engage with their favorite teams.
Sports are being consumed in different ways due to digital platforms becoming a preferred method for fans in the area to view their favorite teams.
Younger fans now prefer to consume their information about games via live coverage & real time commentary rather than traditional post game reports.
Pre-game content is now dominated by social media, where both official & unofficial fan groups are creating content prior to a match.
TV360's OTT (over the top) users have had exclusive streaming rights to watch a variety of leagues, such as the Bundesliga.
Growing Rivalries and The V-league
Late-night European football has long held top position on television, and it seems this same interest has extended to Vietnam’s V-League, which has seen an increase in local rivalries. The 2025-2026 V-League 1 Northern Derby between Hanoi FC and Nam Dinh FC is raising the level of competition in local rivalries to a level unmatched in the world.
These are no longer simply local rivalry matches; they are "classics" of the league that international players study, discuss, and admire. This marks a new era of professionalism for the V-League as the V-League enhances its commercial value. The V-League can now proudly state that it is among the top-tier professional leagues in Southeast Asia and ranks third in the region for most valuable leagues.
The combination of late-night European football and the V-League places Vietnam at the front of Asia as one of the most sought-after and respected sports marketplaces.
