With just a few weeks to go before the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 12, Indian football fans are still in the dark about how they can watch the tournament. Recently, the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati made it clear that it is not responsible for securing the broadcasting rights for the World Cup in India. This news came during a hearing in the Delhi High Court about a petition urging that the World Cup be broadcast in India by Prasar Bharati.
The petition specifically called for key matches, including the opening game, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, to be shown for free on channels like Doordarshan and DD Sports. However, on May 19, the petitioner, Advocate Avdhesh Bairwa, sought to withdraw the petition with the option to approach a different court for help.
Earlier on May 12, the Delhi High Court had already raised concerns about the possibility of India entering the World Cup without an official broadcaster, a thought that seems strange given the large number of Indian football fans.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, India was one of FIFA’s top engagement markets despite not qualifying for the tournament. Reports indicated that Indian viewers created nearly 745.7 million interactions during that event.
Yet, as of now, no broadcaster has signed on to show the 2026 World Cup in India. The initial value set by FIFA for the broadcasting rights in India for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments was about USD 100 million; however, this has since dropped to around USD 35 million due to limited interest from broadcasters. Allegedly, a bid of USD 20 million from JioStar was also turned down.
The petition pointed out that not broadcasting the tournament would prevent Indian citizens from enjoying one of the world’s biggest sporting events, despite the FIFA World Cup being declared a “sporting event of national importance” under Indian law.
Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar represented the petitioner, with the plea being filed by a legal team from Hammurabi & Solomon Partners.
WHY IS THERE NO FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 BROADCASTER IN INDIA?
The current situation is a result of a commercial disagreement between FIFA and Indian broadcasters. While the World Cup is one of the most significant sporting events globally, many Indian broadcasters are hesitant to invest heavily in a tournament where most matches will air very late or very early due to the hosting schedule in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Several factors contribute to this delay:
- FIFA’s initial rights package aimed for USD 100 million.
- This was later cut to about USD 35 million due to weak interest.
- A bid from JioStar for USD 20 million was rejected.
- Most matches will start at inconvenient times for Indian viewers.
- Broadcasters have already heavily invested in cricket, especially IPL rights.
- Sports networks have become cautious about investing in events outside of cricket.
- As of now, no broadcaster has finalized rights even as June 12 approaches.
This has created a peculiar situation where one of the world’s most-watched sporting events lacks a confirmed broadcast plan in India just weeks before the start date. The pressure is mounting as time runs out for scheduling, promotions, technical prep, and public access.
WILL INDIAN FANS BE ABLE TO WATCH THE WORLD CUP?
Despite the uncertainty, many within the Indian football community remain hopeful that a solution will emerge before the tournament kicks off.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but has clarified its inability to intervene in the broadcasting negotiations. AIFF Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan emphasized that India’s significant football market is too important for FIFA or broadcasters to ignore for long.
This remains the primary reason why fans believe a compromise is likely. Allowing the FIFA World Cup to be unavailable to such a large audience would not only be commercially embarrassing but would also be tough to justify, especially given the rapid growth of football interest in India over the last decade.
For now, Indian football fans are left waiting as the countdown to June 12 grows shorter.
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