New Delhi, India – When Argentina's Gonzalo Montiel converted the penalty that secured his country's third World Cup title in Qatar in December 2022, millions of football fans across India erupted in the streets. But just a few years later, that electric atmosphere risks not being repeated.
With 23 days left before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), FIFA has still not found a buyer for broadcast rights in India, even after significantly cutting the asking price. This raises concerns for both FIFA's revenue and its long-term ambition to develop football in the world's largest media market.
How Passionate Were Indian Fans?
According to FIFA data, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar attracted over 745 million Indian fans across all platforms, second only to China in total engagement. In terms of television viewership, India ranked in the top ten globally with nearly 84 million viewers, surpassing participating teams like Germany, France, and England.
For the final alone, JioCinema, the streaming platform of the Reliance group, recorded 32 million viewers, with total watch time reaching 40 billion minutes. Earlier, Reliance had paid $60 million for the 2022 World Cup rights, while Sony Sports acquired the rights for the 2014, 2018 World Cups and Euro 2016 for around $90 million in 2013.
Why No Buyers?
Experts point to three main reasons:
1. Unfavorable Kickoff Times: Due to a 10-12 hour time difference, only 14 of 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup will kick off before midnight in India. The final in New Jersey (USA) on July 19 will start at 12:30 AM Indian time. By contrast, 98.4% of 2018 World Cup matches and 82.5% of 2022 World Cup matches took place before midnight in India.
2. India's Sports Economy Is Dominated by Cricket: Karan Taurani, executive vice president at investment firm Elara Capital, said television is “struggling” in India. “Only a very small portion of IPL viewers will watch the football World Cup, and even fewer will stay up late to follow it,” he said. A government ban on virtual sports betting apps has also cut financial flows in the sports entertainment industry.
3. Declining Football Rights Fees: English Premier League rights in India were once sold for $145 million for three seasons (2013-2016) but now stand at just $65 million for 2025-2028. La Liga has found almost no buyers.
Fans Take Legal Action
A lawyer and football fan in New Delhi has filed a petition with India's Supreme Court, arguing that the lack of broadcast rights violates constitutional rights to free speech and access to information. The court has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the public broadcaster Doordarshan to respond.
Doordarshan last aired the World Cup in 1998. If FIFA fails to sign a commercial deal in time, the broadcaster could be the last hope for Indian fans.
“I'm heartbroken that there's no reliable way to watch the World Cup this year,” said Vishwas Banerjee, a Messi fan who celebrated wildly on the streets in 2022. “But we'll watch through illegal streams. No one can stop that.”
Two weeks ago, China's state broadcaster signed a last-minute deal with FIFA to air the tournament. Indian fans are hoping for a similar outcome.
