GUWAHATI: Indian football fans face uncertainty over access to the FIFA World Cup 2026, as media rights for the tournament remain unsold with just two months left for the opening match on June 11. The delay has raised concerns about whether the event will be available for live viewing across television and digital platforms in India.
Assam HSLC Results 2026: 65.62 Per Cent Students Pass; Dima Hasao Best Performing District
The process to sell media rights began in June 2025, but no buyers have emerged so far. According to a report by The Economic Times, FIFA had initially valued the combined media rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at $100 million. However, due to limited interest from broadcasters, the asking price was reduced to $35 million. Despite the sharp cut, networks have shown little enthusiasm in acquiring the rights.
The report further noted that incumbent rights holder JioStar has internally valued the broadcast rights for the next two editions at around $25 million (approximately ₹207 crore). This marks a significant drop compared to the previous cycle, when Viacom18 secured the rights for the FIFA World Cup 2022 for $62 million in 2021.
The decline in broadcaster interest is being attributed to multiple factors, including reduced competition following the merger of Star India and Viacom18 into JioStar, which has narrowed the pool of major bidders. Broadcasters such as Sony Sports Network, Eurosport, and FanCode are reportedly reluctant to commit to high-value deals.
Another major factor is the dominance of cricket in India’s sports broadcasting landscape. Networks have already invested heavily in securing rights from the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, limiting their capacity to pursue expensive global football properties such as the FIFA World Cup.
The 2026 edition will be co-hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will be the first World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team format.