FIFA World Cup 2026: No Bids For India Media Rights Despite Price Slash – See Reasons

FIFA World Cup 2026, the upcoming edition of football’s premier international tournament, remains one of the most anticipated events in the sporting calendar. However, the expanded World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is facing an unexpected roadblock in India.

Despite a steep discount given by FIFA on the media rights – a 65% reduction from $100 million to $35 million for 2026 and 2030 combined – the tournament has failed to attract any bids from India, as per a report by the Economic Times.

This is in stark contrast to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Viacom18 spent a reported $62 million for the rights to a single edition. Despite two editions being offered at almost half the price, there have been no takers this time around.

Why FIFA World Cup 2026 Attracted No Indian Bidders?

The biggest problem for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is its scheduling. This is the fourth time that the quadrennial tournament is being hosted in North America, and that has created timing issues for Indian audiences.

Unlike the editions hosted in Russia or Qatar, this year’s matches will be shown between midnight and 7 AM IST in India, which reduces viewership. The lack of advertising opportunities in football and the ban on real-money gaming (RMG) by the Indian government have further reduced the budget for streaming companies.

Other football tournaments, including the Indian Super League (ISL) and second-division Indian Football League (IFL), have also seen their valuations drop significantly this season.

There’s also the problem of a lack of competition among Indian broadcasting companies. The merger of Star India and Viacom18 has led to the new entity, JioStar, being positioned as a market leader.

As per media reports, JioStar are willing to submit a bid for the World Cup streaming rights in India, but their valuation is closer to the $25 million mark – well below FIFA’s asking price. The global body already has a deal in place with YouTube to stream some game action live on the platform.

What Happens Next?

The most likely avenue is a deal between FIFA and JioStar at a later date. With the tournament starting on June 11, the ball is in FIFA’s court to reduce the asking price. India remains a massive market for football, despite the cultural dominance of cricket. More than 110 million digital viewers saw the last edition in Qatar, with over 32 million watching the final between Argentina and France.

Sony remains another, albeit unlikely, option. They won the streaming rights for the 2014 edition held in Brazil for a reported $40 million fee, where the matches were shown in a similar midnight to early morning period as will be the case this year.

However, Sony has reportedly shied away from making costly investments in non-cricket sporting events. Therefore, it remains unlikely that they will go toe-to-toe with JioStar for the World Cup rights.

FanCode remains another option, although it hasn’t shown much appetite for high-value deals. Kolkata-based SSEN and Warner Bros Discovery’s Eurosport are other smaller ventures that might enter the running late in the game.

If FIFA fails to strike a deal with any Indian broadcaster, there is a good chance that it will opt for a digital-first distribution system. They can stream the matches directly on their FIFA+ platform, either backed by advertisements or for free.