Well, the IPL is almost done, and if you are a sports fan, you definitely know what happens after the IPL ends. Well, it is the Football World Cup starting on the 11th of June, but this time around, there is one big problem: FIFA still hasn’t finalized a broadcaster for India. We still, still don’t know whether the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be shown—will be broadcast or streamed.
It is the biggest sporting event in the world, and it starts in less than three weeks, and millions of Indian fans are still on tenterhooks. They [clears throat] don’t know where to watch it. India may not play the World Cup, but emotionally, we are fully invested as a country. While Messi is expected to make his World Cup swag at the upcoming tournament in North America, there are many football fans in India who are wanting to know how can they catch the Messi madness. Because India really doesn’t want to miss out on the sporting spectacle.
And Prasar Bharati has reportedly told the Delhi High Court that it is not their responsibility to acquire the rights. And honestly, timing is probably the biggest issue here. The World Cup is happening in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, which means most of the matches are going to happen overnight. Only 14 out of 104 World Cup games will begin before midnight in India.
So broadcasters are probably thinking in terms of numbers, advertising, subscriptions, sponsorships, all of that. FIFA has concluded agreements with broadcasters in 180 territories around the world. But they are saying that for now, the talks with India regarding the sale of media rights are on, and matters should be kept confidential for the moment.
India is one of the biggest World Cup markets, and last time, the numbers were massive during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. India reportedly emerged as one of FIFA’s biggest engagement markets globally, despite not even qualifying for the tournament. According to submissions made in the court, Indian audiences generated nearly 745.7 million interactions during the competition last time around. So for all the fans at the moment, it’s pretty much a wait-and-watch scenario.
