With just days remaining before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Zee Entertainment has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the tournament in India, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over coverage in one of football’s largest markets.
The company announced on Monday that it had acquired rights not only for the 2026 FIFA World Cup but also for 38 additional FIFA competitions scheduled through 2034. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
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The deal comes after prolonged negotiations between FIFA and potential broadcasters. Earlier reports suggested that football’s governing body had initially sought around $100 million for the Indian rights package covering the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. However, the asking price was later reduced to approximately $60 million as talks continued.
The tournament is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Until now, India remained one of the few major markets where a broadcasting agreement had not been finalized.
JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture that aired the 2022 FIFA World Cup through Viacom18, had reportedly submitted a bid worth around $20 million. FIFA, however, declined the offer. Sony, which previously held Indian broadcasting rights for the 2014 and 2018 editions, also held discussions but ultimately did not submit a bid.
The delay in securing a broadcaster even prompted legal action. On May 12, the Delhi High Court sought responses from the Centre and Prasar Bharati regarding a petition demanding telecast of the tournament in India. The petitioner had requested that the government acquire rights for key matches, including the opening game, quarterfinals, semifinals and final, while also seeking coverage of all 104 matches.
FIFA has already completed broadcasting agreements in over 180 territories worldwide. During the 2022 World Cup, India accounted for nearly 2.9% of the tournament’s global linear television audience.
