World Cup Broadcast Deals Still Unresolved in China and India
Unresolved television rights negotiations in China and India are creating uncertainty for millions of football fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- FIFA has yet to finalise World Cup broadcast agreements in China and India.
- Chinese broadcaster CCTV reportedly considers FIFA’s asking price too expensive despite a reduction in fees.
- Local reports in India suggest a television rights deal for the 2026 World Cup could be announced soon.
Millions of football supporters in China and India remain uncertain about how they will watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as broadcasters in both countries have yet to finalise television rights agreements with FIFA.
Broadcast agreements for tournaments of this size are usually completed months or even years before kickoff, making the ongoing negotiations unusual so close to the competition.
Reports from local media suggest discussions are continuing over the cost of broadcasting the matches. FIFA confirmed to the BBC that negotiations in both countries are still underway but declined to comment on the financial details.
According to FIFA, television rights agreements have already been completed in 180 territories worldwide. However, several markets, including China and India, are still without confirmed broadcasters despite representing nearly one-third of the global population.
State broadcaster CCTV in China was reportedly initially offered the rights for as much as $300m (£220m). Chinese media later reported that FIFA reduced the asking price to between $120m and $150m, though that figure still exceeds CCTV’s budget for the tournament.
Chinese media also suggested that public interest may be lower because China failed to qualify for the competition. In addition, many matches hosted in North America are expected to air during overnight hours in China because of the time difference.
Previous World Cup broadcasting deals in China were agreed much earlier. FIFA announced in 2017 that CCTV had secured exclusive rights for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
In India, negotiations are also continuing, although local reports indicate that a broadcasting agreement could be announced soon.
