World football governing body FIFA is close to finalising its India broadcast rights for the upcoming World Cup, which could end months of uncertainty over telecast arrangements in one of its key markets, The Indian Express has reported.
The report said discussions were held with two main contenders, JioHotstar and the Zee network, which is preparing to return to sports broadcasting. Jio, which held rights for the 2022 World Cup, is believed to have retained its valuation at around 20 million US dollars, while Zee has emerged as a strong contender after Sony and FanCode opted out of the bidding process.
FIFA had initially expected close to 100 million US dollars for combined rights to the 2026 and 2030 editions but has reportedly revised its expectations to around 35 million US dollars due to weak commercial interest. The final deal is expected to be in this revised range.
An official announcement is likely in the coming days once the agreement is formally completed, according to a source quoted in the report.
India remains the only major market where FIFA has not yet finalised its broadcast rights. Recently, FIFA signed a separate agreement with CCTV for the Chinese mainland covering multiple editions of both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
However, the Indian market continues to face commercial challenges. Of the 104 matches scheduled across the United States, Canada and Mexico, nearly 90 percent will be played between midnight and early morning hours in India, making it less attractive for advertisers. (With inputs from Indian Express)
