SENIOR FIFA media rights officials are in India for urgent discussions with broadcasters and commercial partners as concerns mount that this year’s FIFA World Cup could face a television blackout in one of the world’s largest media markets.
According to reports, FIFA executives are travelling to India in an attempt to break the deadlock over media rights negotiations. The governing body is understood to be engaged in talks with multiple Indian broadcasters and streaming platforms after previous negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
FIFA has been facing a major broadcast rights crisis ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with no confirmed deals in India and China, two of the world’s biggest markets. However, FiFA recently entered into a broadcast rights deal with China Media Group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, just 27 days before the opening game on June 11. The agreement covers the next four World Cups, two men’s and two women’s tournaments, through 2031.
Chinese state-affiliated media reported the 2026 World Cup rights were valued at $60 million, well below the $300 million FIFA had originally sought. China did not qualify for the 48-team, 104-game men’s tournament in North America. FIFA’s negotiating position was weakened by a time difference of up to 15 hours between Beijing and the 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
A broadcast rights deal for India has not yet been confirmed because JioStar has reportedly offered $20 million for India rights against FIFA’s earlier expectation of $100 million for the 2026 & 2030 cycle. This massive valuation gap has stalled negotiations. In contrast, 2022 World Cup rights in India were sold approximately 14 months in advance for about $60 million. It generated over 110 million digital viewers, showing strong reach but not necessarily strong monetisation. Sony, previously a major sports broadcaster, declined to bid, citing poor commercial viability.
Several structural factors are driving India’s weak bidding environment including late-night match timings (mostly post-midnight IST due to North American hosting) which drastically affects ad value. Football remains secondary to cricket in India’s sports economy and advertising slowdown linked to broader economic pressures has reduced spending appetite.
