Indian football fans facing World Cup blackout – Reuters 

Millions of football fans in India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, are facing the prospect of a blackout of the 2026 football World Cup. A broadcast deal with India is yet to be finalized, Reuters reported on Tuesday. There has also been no deal announcement for China.

The world’s leading sports spectator event starts in the US, Mexico, and Canada on June 11.

“Discussions in China and India regarding the sale ⁠of media rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are ongoing and must remain confidential at this stage,” the sport’s governing body told Reuters.   

With just five weeks before the start of the tournament, that is an unusual scenario. FIFA said it has concluded deals with “175 territories globally.”

In India, a joined venture between Reliance Group, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Disney has offered $20 million for broadcast rights. This is only a fraction of what FIFA is seeking, the report said. FIFA initially sought $100 million for broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups together, according to Reuters.

Sony has also held talks for India broadcast rights, but has reportedly decided to skip making an offer.

India and China together accounted for 22.6% of the global digital streaming reach for the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar. That time, Reliance’s standalone media arm secured the rights for a reported $60 million in India. 

This year, FIFA has reportedly lowered the asking price but is wary of the $20 million offer put forth. An unnamed source told Reuters that FIFA is looking for a similar amount as in 2022.

The Reliance-Disney venture doesn’t expect a huge Indian viewership for most matches, which will air past midnight local time, the report noted. More than 87% of the 104 World Cup matches are expected to air after 10pm Indian Standard Time. Football also provides a limited scope for advertising compared with cricket, which is the most popular sport in India.

Around 5 billion people engaged with the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022, with the final between Argentina and France reaching 1.5 billion viewers globally.