With the FIFA World Cup 2026 fast approaching, excitement among football fans is reaching fever pitch. However, uncertainty continues to loom in India as negotiations over broadcasting and media rights remain unresolved due to high pricing demands and concerns over unfavourable match timings.
China had recently faced a similar situation before China Media Group successfully secured the tournament’s media rights, easing concerns among football supporters there. In India, however, the situation remains unclear.
India accounted for nearly 2.9 percent of the global linear television audience during the previous FIFA World Cup in 2022, underlining the massive football following in the country. Fans fear that failure to finalise a broadcasting agreement could leave millions without access to live coverage of the tournament.
Despite the uncertainty, there appears to be a glimmer of hope. Multiple sources have confirmed that FIFA officials are currently in India, although no official details regarding ongoing discussions have been disclosed. FIFA had earlier maintained that negotiations surrounding media rights agreements are confidential in nature.
Reports suggest that the Reliance Industries-Disney joint venture had held extensive talks with FIFA over the broadcasting deal. The Indian media giant is understood to have offered around $20 million for the rights. FIFA, however, reportedly began negotiations at $100 million before reducing its demand to around $60 million — a figure that was still deemed too high by the Reliance-Disney venture.
Meanwhile, Sony Group Corporation, which currently broadcasts several major international sporting events in India, reportedly did not submit a bid, likely due to the steep valuation of the rights package.
Industry observers also point to the challenging match schedules as a major concern for broadcasters. Since most World Cup matches will be played between midnight and early morning Indian time, television ratings and advertising revenues remain uncertain, making the investment riskier for media companies.
With the FIFA World Cup now only weeks away, anxiety among Indian football fans continues to grow. Unless an agreement is reached soon, supporters across the country may be left without an official platform to watch the world’s biggest football tournament live.