Our Bureau
Mumbai
Football fans across India and China are at risk of missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup on TV as global rights talks remain stuck. FIFA has not yet agreed a broadcast deal with either country, even though the tournament is set to start on June 11, leaving less than five weeks to finalise any deal.
In India, a joint venture between Reliance and Disney has offered 20 million dollars for the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights. This amount is far below FIFA’s original demand of about 100 million dollars for both the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. FIFA has reportedly rejected the 20–million–dollar offer, calling it “unacceptable”, and has so far failed to find another broadcaster willing to step in.
For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Reliance’s then–standalone media arm had paid about 60 million dollars for the rights in India. That tournament drew over 110 million digital viewers across its platforms. Broadcasters now argue that matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico will fall in the late–night slot in India, which may reduce advertising and viewer interest.
In China, FIFA has also not announced any signed broadcast deal, deepening fears of a blackout for hundreds of millions of fans. With no clear agreement in place in the world’s two most populous nations, a major World Cup television crisis looms just weeks before the opening match.
