India is without an official broadcaster for the FIFA World Cup 2026
Former AIFF General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran said that negotiations for broadcast rights are “complete”
FIFA reportedly finalised the deal for USD 30-35 million
Indian fans have been worried about the lack of an official broadcaster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. Despite being just a month away from the start of the expanded 48-team tournament in North America, the world’s most populous nation remains without a way to watch the global event.
This limbo may be over soon, as former AIFF General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran took to social media to announce that the negotiations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast rights in India are “complete”, with an official announcement expected soon.
"BIG NEWS FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL FANS! The wait is finally over. Negotiations are complete, and the official announcement for the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasting partner in India is expected next week!” Prabhakaran wrote on X.
“After months of uncertainty, fans can finally relax, the World Cup will be fully accessible in India. Get ready for the biggest World Cup in history!”
According to media reports, FIFA completed the deal with unnamed parties for a fee of around USD 30-35 million, which is significantly less than the global body’s initial valuation of around USD 100 million.
Despite the national team not qualifying for any big events, India remains a global fan hub for football. The nation accounted for 2.9% of the global television audience for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
With this year’s edition drawing near, a plea was filed in the Delhi High Court. The petition requested that the Court direct Prasar Bharati to broadcast the World Cup on free-to-air platforms like Doordarshan and DD Sports. However, Prasar Bharati replied that it is not responsible for acquiring the broadcast rights for the tournament.
China, another major television market for FIFA, also secured a broadcast deal on May 16 for USD 60 million. Now that the Indian deal has reportedly been secured as well, the two Asian nations will be able to tune into the global football fiesta, which begins on June 11.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s national team will travel to the United Kingdom to take part in the Unity Cup 2026 and will face Jamaica in the semi-final on May 28.
