India's Zee Entertainment announced on May 20 that it is negotiating with FIFA to live-stream and broadcast the 2026 World Cup in the country, just weeks before the tournament kicks off on June 11.
The statement did not disclose financial details. Earlier, negotiations between the Reliance-Disney joint venture and world football's governing body had stalled, according to Reuters. FIFA initially demanded $100 million for the broadcast rights to the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in India, later lowering the price to around $60 million. This price tag remains well above the $20 million offer from Reliance-Disney, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. Sony, which had also been in talks, decided not to make an offer.
The move comes as FIFA says it has signed deals with broadcasters in more than 180 territories globally. The negotiations with Zee Entertainment were revealed alongside the launch of Unite8 Sports, a dedicated sports channel portfolio aimed at boosting sports content for viewers.
According to FIFA data, India accounted for 2.9% of the global linear TV viewership for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, second only to China in total engagement. More than 745 million fans in India followed the tournament across media platforms. In terms of TV viewership, India ranked among the top 10 countries—outpacing participating nations such as Germany, France, and England—with nearly 84 million viewers.
