Millions of football fans across India and China face the prospect of missing out on next month’s World Cup, as broadcast rights remain unresolved in both of the world’s most populous nations.
In India, a joint venture between Reliance and Disney reportedly tabled a $20 million offer for the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights.
This figure, a mere fraction of Fifa’s demand, was deemed unacceptable by football’s global governing body, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters on Monday. Sony also engaged in discussions but ultimately opted against making an offer for the Indian rights, a third source with direct knowledge confirmed.
Meanwhile, China has yet to announce a broadcast agreement, despite Fifa data indicating the nation accounted for a staggering 49.8 per cent of all digital and social platform viewing hours globally during the 2022 World Cup.
Neither Fifa nor the Reliance-Disney joint venture, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance, responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. Sony also declined to comment.
The absence of confirmed broadcast agreements with either India or China at this late stage is highly unusual.
For previous tournaments, including the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV typically secured rights well in advance, commencing promotional campaigns and sponsor advertisements weeks ahead of kick-off. CCTV, which boasts extensive reach across television and digital platforms, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2022, China alone represented 17.7 per cent of the global linear TV reach for the tournament, with India contributing 2.9 per cent. Combined, these two nations made up 22.6 per cent of the total global digital streaming reach for that World Cup.
With the 2026 tournament scheduled to kick off on 11 June, barely five weeks remain for deals to be finalised, broadcast infrastructure to be established, and advertising inventory to be sold.
Sources, who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions, revealed that Fifa initially sought $100 million for broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
When the World Cup last aired in India in 2022, Reliance’s then-standalone media arm secured the rights for about $60 million, an agreement announced roughly 14 months prior to the Qatar event. That tournament attracted over 110 million digital viewers across its platforms.
Reliance and Disney DIS.N have since formed a joint venture to emerge as a dominant force in India’s media and streaming landscape, and the $20 million Fifa offer underscores the negotiating power the Indian group commands.
Fifa had significantly lowered its ask from the $100 million earlier, but has not been keen on the $20 million figure Reliance offered, one source said.
Sources suggest that Reliance-Disney, despite investing billions in cricket broadcast rights, anticipates lower World Cup viewership in India. This is attributed to the tournament’s host nations – the United States, Canada, and Mexico – meaning most matches will air past midnight in India.
China, despite boasting approximately 200 million football fans – more than any other nation – has struggled to develop world-class teams. This is partly due to a top-down approach where clubs select players from a limited pool of pre-screened candidates.
The second source further noted that football lacks the commercial premium in India enjoyed by cricket, the nation’s most popular sport. An advertising slowdown, reportedly linked to the Iranian war, has also dampened revenue expectations. “Football is a niche segment in India”, the source stated.
Sony, which operates TV channels and a streaming application in India, also concluded that acquiring broadcast rights from FIFA would not be economically viable for the group, according to the third industry source.
Rohit Potphode, managing partner for sports at advertising agency Dentsu India, commented: “Not much time is left but I won’t call it a stalemate. It’s more like we are at the end of a chess game with a couple of moves left.”
