FIFA media rights officials are expected to visit India this week in an effort to resolve the ongoing broadcast deadlock surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to international news agency reports.
The development comes with less than a month remaining before the tournament begins on June 11, while India — one of the world’s fastest-growing football markets — still does not have an official broadcaster for the competition.
Reports indicate that FIFA is attempting to finalise a television and streaming agreement after negotiations with Indian broadcasters failed to reach a conclusion over pricing and valuation concerns.
Meanwhile, China recently secured a broadcast agreement for the tournament through China Media Group, which reportedly signed a deal worth approximately $60 million to telecast all 104 matches of the expanded World Cup.
According to reports, FIFA is believed to have offered China nearly an 80 percent discount to close the agreement quickly, largely due to the country’s massive contribution to global football viewership. China reportedly accounted for 49.8 percent of worldwide viewing hours during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Industry observers believe Indian broadcasters may now be waiting for a similar reduction in pricing before moving forward with negotiations.
FIFA had initially sought a media rights deal worth nearly $100 million for the Indian market before reportedly reducing its expectations to around $60 million. However, the highest known offer from India is understood to be approximately $20 million, submitted by a joint venture between Reliance Industries and The Walt Disney Company.
According to Reuters, it remains unclear whether FIFA’s visiting delegation will directly meet representatives from the Reliance-Disney partnership during the trip.
Reuters further reported that FIFA has already completed media rights agreements across more than 180 territories worldwide, while discussions related to India remain ongoing and confidential.
A 2024 report by Deloitte and Google, cited by Reuters, estimated that India currently has nearly 85 million football fans, underlining the country’s growing importance in the global football market despite the absence of a domestic World Cup broadcaster so far.
Amid growing excitement around the upcoming tournament, Gold 101.3FM UAE’s No.1 radio station continues to follow major developments surrounding the FIFA World Cup and global football updates closely for sports fans across the Gulf region.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, and will feature 48 participating nations for the first time in the tournament’s history
