The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, and India still does not have a confirmed broadcaster. With barely five weeks to go, the rights deadlock is now looking like a genuine crisis — and the latest development makes it worse.
FIFA has rejected JioStar’s $20 million offer for the India broadcast rights of the 2026 World Cup, according to a Reuters report, leaving the tournament without a confirmed home for Indian viewers.
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Still Has No Broadcaster in India — How Did We Get Here?
FIFA launched the India rights sale for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups back in July 2025, but failed to find a buyer even after slashing its asking price from around $100 million down to $35 million.
To put that in context, Viacom18 — now part of JioStar following its merger with Disney Star — paid around $60 million for the 2022 Qatar World Cup rights. JioStar’s current offer of $20 million represents a two-thirds reduction on what the same entity paid just four years ago. FIFA clearly finds that unacceptable, but the broadcasters are not budging.
Sony also appears to have walked away. Reuters reported that Sony held discussions but ultimately decided against making an offer for the India rights. Sony had previously held the 2014 and 2018 World Cup rights, using the event to establish Sony SIX as a football destination in India.
Why Are Broadcasters Reluctant?
The commercial math simply does not work in India’s favour for this edition. The 2026 tournament will be played in North American time zones, meaning more than 87 per cent of the 104 matches will air after 10 pm IST. India will get only 13 matches — about 12.5 per cent of the tournament — during daylight hours.
That is a scheduling nightmare for advertisers. Football also has limited ad inventory compared with cricket, where every over creates a natural commercial break. A former CEO of a top Indian broadcaster put it bluntly: “Football has no breaks. In cricket, every over has a break. In football, there are no chances to show ads.”
In 2022, Viacom18 generated over ₹300 crore in advertising revenue from the Qatar World Cup through integrated deals with more than 50 brands — but that tournament had far more viewer-friendly timings for India. Replicating that revenue with late-night North American kickoffs is a much harder sell to brand partners.
Could Doordarshan Save the Day?
With private broadcasters holding back, Prasar Bharati has emerged as a potential route. A top government official confirmed that Doordarshan held discussions with FIFA to understand the cost dynamics.
Prasar Bharati is not new to FIFA properties — Doordarshan secured television broadcast rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 through a sub-licensing deal with US-based company 1Stadia, carrying the tournament on DD Sports. The public broadcaster operates without the same commercial pressures as JioStar or Sony, making it a viable last-resort option.
What Happens If No Deal Is Struck?
The absence of a confirmed broadcast agreement this close to the tournament is highly unusual. In past World Cups, including 2018 and 2022, rights deals were secured well in advance with promotional content and sponsor-driven advertisements airing weeks before kick-off.
Even without an official rights deal, World Cup content will still circulate through clips, creator content, and social platforms. What remains genuinely uncertain is whether Indian viewers will get a full official broadcast and streaming home for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
For football fans in India, that is a deeply unsatisfying answer with less than six weeks to go.
Stay tuned to TechnoSports for all FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast updates, streaming news, and sports coverage.
