The FIFA World Cup 2026 is just two months away but its media rights still remain unsold. Despite clocking an engagement with 5 billion people in the 2022 edition, broadcasters in India are hesitant to invest in the tournament for several reasons.
According to the Economic Times, FIFA initially valued the combined broadcasting rights of 2026 and 2030 editions at $100 million, which was recently slashed to $35 million owing to the lack of interest.
Despite the steep discount, the tournament which starts on June 11 has no takers. Comparing it to the 2022 world cup, Viacom18 had secured the rights for $62 million for just one season. The Economic Times report suggests that broadcasters are now valuing the rights around $25 million.
One of the major reasons broadcasters are looking away is the timing of the matches. Since the tournament will be hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico, the matches will likely be aired late at night or in the early hours, which would take away a large chunk of the viewership.
Since the viewership is scarce, broadcasters may find it hard to secure advertisements that can only run during halftime breaks.
Besides, Star India and Viacom18's merger into JioStar has removed competition, leaving no major bidders for the rights. Not to mention, India has always been considered a 'sleeping giant' of football but never found its footing like cricket.
A glaring example of this is the Indian Super League (ISL), whose broadcast value dropped from Rs 275 crore per year paid by Viacom to just Rs 8.62 crore. FanCode, a Dream Sports company, emerged as the new buyer for the 2025-2026 season after the franchise suffered a 97 per cent drop in its media rights.