5 weeks before the start of the tournament, FIFA rejects Indian offer and has no agreement concluded with broadcaster in China
Millions of fans in the 2 most populous countries in the world could miss out on watching the . Just 5 weeks before the start of the competition, scheduled for June 11th, there is a commercial impasse over broadcasting rights in India and the absence of an official decision in China.
In India, the joint venture formed by Reliance and Disney offered US$20 million to show the tournament. The value is considered low by FIFA (International Football Federation), which rejected the proposal. Sony also participated in initial conversations, but backed down and decided not to formalize an offer for local rights.
The uncertain situation also affects China. So far, no agreement has been announced for Chinese territory, which deviates from the historical pattern of organizing the event. In previous World Cups, such as those in 2018 and 2022, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV secured the rights well in advance, making it possible to show promotional content and sponsor advertisements weeks before the start of the games.
OFFERS AND EXPECTATIONS
The impasse in the Indian market reflects the federation’s frustrated expectations. FIFA initially wanted US$100 million. For comparison purposes, Reliance paid around US$60 million for the Qatar tournament in 2022.
The low Indian interest is explained by the time zone of the venues (USA, Canada and Mexico), which will play most of the matches in the Asian dawn, and by the national sporting preference.
Despite the difficulties and the proximity of the event, sector experts are trying to minimize the crisis. “There’s not much time left, but I wouldn’t call it a stalemate. It’s more like we’re at the end of a chess game with a few moves left,” Rohit Potphode, managing partner of sports at advertising agency Dentsu India, told the news agency Reuters.
IMPACT ON AUDIENCE AND DEADLINES
The lack of an agreement with these markets could represent a drastic drop in attendance for the federation. According to FIFA itself, China was responsible for 49.8% of all hours watched on digital platforms in the world during the 2022 World Cup.
Considering the global reach on traditional (linear) television, the Chinese market accounted for 17.7% of the global audience, while India scored 2.9% in the last edition. Together, the 2 countries accounted for 22.6% of the event’s entire streaming reach.
The window of time to overcome the crisis is narrow. There is just over 1 month left for broadcasters to finalize contracts, install the technical transmission infrastructure and sell advertising spaces.
In a statement, FIFA reported that it has already concluded agreements in more than 175 global territories and avoided detailing the Asian obstacle. “Discussions in China and India regarding the sale of media rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are ongoing and are expected to remain confidential at this stage,” declared the entity.
