With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin on June 11, a surprising problem has emerged. India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka – home to billions of people – still don’t have official broadcasters for the tournament. The clock is ticking, and time is running out to finalize deals.
The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in history. It will feature 48 countries playing 104 matches across three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, viewers in some of the world’s most populated countries might not be able to watch it on television.
The Price Problem in India
FIFA started looking for broadcasters in India back in July 2025. The initial asking price was $100 million for media rights covering the next two Men’s FIFA World Cups and the 2027 FIFA Women’s Cup. When no one showed interest, FIFA cut the price dramatically to $35 million. Still, no buyers came forward.
This is surprising when you look at past deals. Viacom18, which is now part of JioStar, paid $62 million just for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Going back further, Sony Sports spent $90 million in 2013 for a package that included the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, the 2016 Euros, the 2017 U-17 World Cup, and the Confederation Cup.
The numbers show a clear downward trend. Despite the tournament getting bigger with more teams and matches, the value in the Indian market seems to be dropping.
Why Broadcasters Are Staying Away
Several factors are keeping broadcasters from buying the rights. The merger of Star India and Viacom18 has reduced the number of players in the market. Fewer companies competing means less pressure to secure rights at any cost.
Sony Pictures Network India, which owns rights to the Euros and UEFA Champions League, has decided not to bid. The strong US dollar compared to the Indian rupee has also made the deal less attractive. When the dollar is strong, Indian companies have to spend more rupees to buy the same rights.
However, the biggest issue is something FIFA cannot control: time zones.
The Timing Challenge
The opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City will start at 12:30 am Indian Standard Time. This means most Indian viewers would need to stay up past midnight or wake up in the early morning to watch live.
The numbers tell a difficult story. Only 14 out of 104 matches will start before midnight in India. Even the final, scheduled for July 19 at the New Jersey Stadium, will kick off at 12:30 am.
Compare this to recent tournaments. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 44 out of 64 matches started before midnight. In 2018, when Russia hosted the tournament, 63 out of 64 matches were at convenient times for Indian viewers.
Neeraj Jha, Head of Sports Business for India and South Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery, explained the challenge. “The timings are odd. US timings will be tough for India. When we had rights for West Indies Cricket, people watched highlights more than they watched live matches,” he said.
How Advertising Works in Football
Timing matters even more because of how sports broadcasting makes money in India. Unlike in some countries where viewers pay subscription fees, Indian sports channels rely heavily on advertising revenue.
Football presents a unique challenge for advertisers. Unlike cricket, football has fewer natural breaks in play. There are no overs, no wickets, and no regular pauses where commercials can run. FIFA has tried to help by creating mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in both halves, giving broadcasters some advertising slots.
But if most matches happen in the middle of the night, viewership drops. Lower viewership means fewer people see the advertisements. This makes the entire investment less valuable for broadcasters.
Different countries handle World Cup broadcasting in different ways. In the United Kingdom, the BBC and ITV show matches for free, supported by their public funding structure. In the United States, viewers will need to pay at least $19.99 on Fox One to watch.
During the 2022 World Cup, Indian viewers could watch for free on JioCinema or pay just Rs 12 for Sports18 HD. This low pricing attracted viewers to digital platforms, but it also meant less money from traditional television advertising.
Cricket Dominates the Market
Another major factor working against the World Cup is cricket’s overwhelming popularity in India. According to WPP Media’s India Sports Sponsorship Report 2025, the sports industry in India doubled in value from 2021 to 2025. However, cricket accounts for 89% of this market, while all other sports combined make up just 11%.
Rohit Potphode, Managing Partner for Sports, Gaming, eSports & Live Experiences at Dentsu India, explained the situation. “India is a low ARPU market for sports, gaming and anywhere with an upfront subscription. Broadcasters are likely weighing a combination of structural and commercial considerations. Brands want to spend where the eyeballs are and eyeballs are currently on cricket,” he said.
The timing of the tournament creates another problem. The Indian Premier League (IPL), cricket’s biggest annual event, ends less than two weeks before the World Cup begins. By that time, many brands have already spent their entire sports marketing budgets. There’s simply not much money left for football.
Declining Interest in Football Rights
The FIFA World Cup isn’t the only football property struggling in India. The English Premier League provides a clear example of the declining trend. Between 2013 and 2016, broadcast rights sold for $145 million for three seasons. The latest rights for 2025-28 sold for just $65 million – a drop of 55.17%.
Spain’s LaLiga has bounced between multiple platforms before ending up on FanCode, a platform owned by Dream11. These examples show a broader pattern of reduced spending on football in India.
Potphode also mentioned changes in football culture. “The kick-off times are the major barrier, especially when it comes to audiences. The purists and the crazy ones still log in, but not everybody. Plus, the Messi-Ronaldo era seems to have faded a bit. In India, AIFF is recalibrating. So, that is affecting the trade side of things, not the audience side,” he explained.
Does FIFA Need India?
From FIFA’s perspective, losing India and other Asian markets is not a financial disaster. In 2024, FIFA budgeted $3.9 billion in revenue from broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup. If India pays $35 million, that’s less than one percent of total revenue.
The organization is financially healthy and not desperate for any single market’s money. However, Potphode points out that FIFA thinks long-term. “They’re not looking just this year, the next year or the year after that; they’re looking at a 10-year horizon,” he said.
Missing an entire generation of viewers in India could hurt FIFA’s future growth. “There might be a potential loss of funds or revenue in the short term. But this is not affecting the bottom line. They are in the green. Money is not a concern. It is about staying strong and building it out for the next 10 years instead of just seeing the next few years,” Potphode continued.
FIFA’s Strategy
FIFA has made it clear they won’t accept low-ball offers just to close a deal. They have built the World Cup into a premium product, and they want to maintain that value.
The organization has options if traditional broadcasters don’t step up. FIFA already operates FIFA+, a direct-to-consumer streaming platform. They could use this platform to show matches directly to viewers, cutting out broadcasters entirely.
“They already have FIFA+ as a direct-to-consumer platform, so worst-case scenario, they will go there. But they are very clear that they do not want to dilute the value or the equity that they have built in the market in the last couple of years,” explained Potphode. His organization, Dentsu, handles the comprehensive media rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Japan.
The Deadline Passes
Last Friday was supposedly the final deadline for bids. However, FIFA could extend this deadline if they choose. The problem is that time is running out in a practical sense. Any broadcaster that buys the rights needs time to prepare.
Creating marketing campaigns, designing graphics, hiring commentators, and building viewer interest takes weeks. If a deal happens too late, there won’t be enough time for proper promotion. Industry experts suggest that anything later than a week before the tournament would make marketing nearly impossible.
Who Might Step In?
Industry insiders believe JioStar is the most likely buyer. The company has strong distribution networks and a successful streaming business. Some think they’re playing a waiting game, hoping the price drops even further.
“Their distribution is good, and a lot of money could come through that route. Their streaming business is also strong, so it makes business sense for them,” explained one industry veteran.
Another possibility involves Doordarshan, India’s public broadcaster. Doordarshan showed the 1998 World Cup in France and could potentially step in again. However, this solution has complications.
For Doordarshan to broadcast the World Cup, a primary broadcaster would need to buy the rights first and then share them. Also, it’s unclear whether a World Cup without India’s participation would count as a “sporting event of national importance.” This designation is required under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act.
At best, only the semi-finals and final matches might qualify for mandatory sharing with the public broadcaster.
The Current Situation
Right now, viewers in India, China, and several other Asian countries have no confirmed way to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup on television. With about six weeks until the opening match, this situation could change quickly – or it might not change at all.
The combination of bad timing, market changes, budget constraints, and cricket’s dominance has created a perfect storm. While FIFA remains financially secure without these markets, millions of football fans might miss out on the world’s biggest sporting tournament.
The situation shows how complex sports broadcasting has become. It’s not just about the quality of the product or the size of the audience. Time zones, currency exchange rates, competing sports, and business consolidation all play important roles.
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