Who Might Telecast FIFA World Cup In India Amidst Brodcast Crisis Caused After Reliance-Disney Deal Collapse?
FIFA has not yet finalised the broadcaster for the 2026 World Cup in India after rejecting the Reliance-Disney joint venture's bid.
Published : May 5, 2026 at 5:16 PM IST
Hyderabad: The FIFA World Cup 2026 might start with an unexpected twist for the Indian football fans, as there might not be a broadcaster yet for the tournament. With only a few weeks to go for the tournament, the competition is on to find their broadcaster.
Usually by this time, the promos are out from broadcasters across the country, and the hype starts to build. However, this time there is a quiet environment around the event with no broadcasters finalised for the event yet.
The Reliance-Disney joint venture was expected to secure the bid, but things didn’t fall in line as their bid for the event starting from June 11 was rejected by FIFA. The sport’s governing body has locked in broadcast deals across more than 175 territories.
FIFA’s biggest tournament faces a shocking reality: no confirmed broadcasters in India & China 🌍 Reliance’s ~$20M bid falls far below expectations, exposing how cricket dominance, weak ad returns & late-night matches are reshaping football’s business game. #FIFA #WorldCup
— theambanis (@the_ambanis) May 5, 2026
What was the valuation mismatch in the FIFA-Reliance-Disney deal?
The reason behind the deal not being finalised is the difference between FIFA's asking price and the joint venture's offer for the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights in India. FIFA were expecting $100 million for a package including both the 2026 and 2030 tournaments. However, the Reliance-Disney joint venture reportedly offered only around $20 million.
FIFA eventually lowered its asking price to $35 million, but broadcasters remained hesitant to pay that value. The reluctance stems from the tournament's timing in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where many matches will be played from 12:30 AM to 7:00 AM IST, which might get lack of viewership in India.
Who might telecast the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India?
With the uncertainty hovering around the telecast of the event, the Indian football fans might have many questions about the broadcast. A late deal is likely to take place with someone stepping in the situation.
The following are the options FIFA can explore for the broadcast of the World Cup in India
Reliance-Disney (JioStar): They are still the frontrunners despite the deal failing initially. Both parties are expected to arrive at an amount somewhere in the middle and the JioStar can secure the deal for the same.
Prasar Bharati (Doordarshan): They might come in the scenario, especially for marquee games like semi-finals and finals, under mandatory sharing rules.
Sony Sports Network / ZEE: They have been involved in the discussions at some point of time, but neither has shown strong intent considering the high costs and uncertain returns.
FIFA+: If no traditional broadcaster signs up, FIFA can fall back on their own broadcasting platform for the live telecast.
YouTube: FIFA had already enabled streaming partnerships here, and so selected matches can be streamed on YouTube.
