FIFA Yet to Secure World Cup Broadcast Deal in India

New Delhi, India – When Gonzalo Montiel’s penalty kick sealed Argentina’s victory in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, millions of Indian football fans erupted in celebration. But just three years later, that atmosphere risks vanishing as FIFA has failed to sell the broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup in the South Asian country.

With more than 745 million fans following the 2022 tournament across media platforms, India ranked second only to China in engagement. Indian television recorded nearly 84 million viewers, placing the country in the global top 10, ahead of Germany, France and the UK. The final alone drew 32 million viewers on the streaming platform JioCinema.

Sony Sports previously paid $90 million for the rights to the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and Euro 2016. In 2022, Reliance’s Jio paid $60 million. When FIFA began selling the rights for the 2026 men's World Cup and the 2027 women's tournament, it expected $100 million. But so far, even after slashing the price substantially, FIFA has not found a buyer in one of its biggest markets.

Experts cite multiple reasons. The biggest hurdle is the time difference: the 2026 World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating a 10-to-12-hour gap with India. Of the 104 matches, only 14 start before midnight local Indian time. The final kicks off at 12:30 a.m. on July 19. By comparison, 98.4% of the 2018 World Cup matches and 82.5% of the 2022 matches began before midnight.

Karan Taurani, executive vice-president at investment firm Elara Capital, said: “When sporting events take place at these hours, only digital platforms can really monetize. That’s the main reason no one is interested in the World Cup.” He noted that cricket still dominates the Indian sports market; only a small fraction of IPL viewers care about the World Cup, and that drops further when matches run after midnight.

The cost of football broadcast rights in India is also declining. The English Premier League – once sold for $145 million for the 2013–2016 seasons – now goes for $65 million for 2025–2028. La Liga has no buyer at all. A government ban on virtual sports betting apps has also squeezed revenue for the sports entertainment industry.

A football fan in New Delhi has filed a petition in court, arguing that the lack of World Cup broadcast rights violates citizens’ freedom of speech and access to information. The Delhi High Court has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the public broadcaster Doordarshan to respond.

For now, Indian fans hope for a last-minute deal, similar to the one China’s state television recently signed with FIFA. If not, Doordarshan – which last aired the World Cup in 1998 – is the only option.

Vishwas Banerjee, an Argentina fan, said: “I’m very sad there’s no reliable way to watch the World Cup this year. But we’ll use pirate streams. Nobody can stop that.”