Fifa is facing a potential broadcast crisis as the start of the World Cup next month approaches, with rights deals still unresolved in the world's two most populous nations, India and China. Millions of football fans in these countries may miss the tournament if agreements are not reached soon.
India's Stalled Negotiations
In India, a joint venture between Reliance and Disney has reportedly offered only $20 million for the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights, a sum far below Fifa's expectations. According to two sources speaking to Reuters, this offer was deemed unacceptable by football's global governing body. Sony also held discussions but ultimately decided not to bid for the Indian rights, a third source confirmed.
Neither Fifa nor the Reliance-Disney venture, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, responded to requests for comment. Sony also declined to comment on the matter.
China's Silence on Rights
China has yet to announce any broadcast agreement, despite being a massive market for the World Cup. During the 2022 tournament, China accounted for 49.8 per cent of all global digital and social platform viewing hours. State broadcaster CCTV, which typically secures rights well in advance and runs promotional campaigns weeks before kick-off, did not respond to a request for comment.
The absence of confirmed deals is highly unusual compared to previous tournaments, such as the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, where Chinese rights were secured early. In 2022, China alone represented 17.7 per cent of global linear TV reach, with India contributing 2.9 per cent. Together, they made up 22.6 per cent of total global digital streaming reach.
Time Running Out
With the tournament scheduled to start on 11 June, only five weeks remain for deals to be finalised, broadcast infrastructure set up, and advertising inventory sold. Sources, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of discussions, revealed that Fifa initially sought $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights. In 2022, Reliance's then-standalone media arm secured rights for about $60 million, announced 14 months before the Qatar event, which attracted over 110 million digital viewers.
The Reliance-Disney joint venture, now a dominant force in India's media landscape, offered $20 million, reflecting its negotiating power. Fifa lowered its demand from $100 million but rejected the $20 million offer, sources said.
Lower Viewership Expected in India
Sources suggest that Reliance-Disney, despite investing billions in cricket rights, expects lower World Cup viewership in India due to the tournament being hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, meaning most matches will air past midnight Indian time. Football also lacks the commercial premium of cricket in India. An advertising slowdown, reportedly linked to the Iranian war, has further dampened revenue expectations. "Football is a niche segment in India," one source stated.
Sony, which operates TV channels and a streaming app in India, concluded that acquiring Fifa rights would not be economically viable, according to the third industry source.
Expert Opinion
Rohit Potphode, managing partner for sports at advertising agency Dentsu India, commented: "Not much time is left but I won't call it a stalemate. It's more like we are at the end of a chess game with a couple of moves left."
