- JioHotstar’s $20 million bid for World Cup rights reportedly rejected by FIFA.
- Sony considered but did not bid for India broadcast rights.
- FIFA seeks nearly $100 million for 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights.
FIFA World Cup 2026 India Broadcast: The much-anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 is around the corner and football fans across the globe are eager to watch their favourite stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and more in action for their national teams in what is considered one of sport’s biggest tournaments. However, fans in India still don’t know where they will be able to watch the World Cup on TV or online as no media rights deal has been officially announced for the country so far.
FIFA-JioHotstar Deal Reportedly Falls Through
As per a Reuters report, JioHotstar tabled a bid of around $20 million for the FIFA World Cup 2026 media rights in India, which fell well short of FIFA’s valuation and has been rejected.
The report, citing sources familiar with the discussions, also noted that even Sony explored the possibility of acquiring the rights but chose not to proceed with a formal bid.
FIFA is believed to have set a price tag of nearly $100 million for the combined India rights for the 2026 and 2030 editions. For comparison, Jio Cinema had secured the 2022 World Cup rights in Qatar for approximately $60 million, with the deal being finalised more than a year before the tournament.
Will FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast On DD Sports?
With multiple reports about FIFA World Cup 2026 media rights negotiations in India falling through, speculation has emerged around Doordarshan, India’s state-owned public service broadcaster, potentially stepping in to air the tournament on DD Sports.
That said, it is important to note that there has been no official confirmation regarding any such arrangement as of this writing.
The World Cup is scheduled to begin June 11 (June 12, 12:30 AM in India), which just a little over a month away, so it will be interesting to see how the situation develops in the coming days and weeks.
Before You Go
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