World Cup Blackout Looms For India With FIFA And Reliance In A Deadlock

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – A broadcast rights impasse has left the 2026 World Cup at risk of  large swathes of the population being blacked out in India and China. With the tournament in North America set to begin next month, the absence of confirmed media deals in India and China marks an unusual delay for soccer’s global governing body.

In India, a joint venture between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Disney has submitted a $20 million bid for the rights-a sharp drop from the $100 million FIFA originally sought for the 2026 and 2030 cycles, Reuters said. While FIFA has lowered its asking price, it has not accepted the current offer. Sony also held discussions but declined to make a bid, citing a lack of economic viability.

Sources said the hesitation is driven in part by the 2026 schedule. Because the tournament is hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, most matches will air past midnight in India. They added that an advertising slowdown linked to the Iranian war has weakened revenue expectations, and that football remains a smaller commercial segment compared to cricket in the country.

The silence is equally notable in China. During the 2022 tournament, China accounted for nearly 50% of global digital viewing hours. In previous cycles, state broadcaster China Central Television secured rights well in advance and began promotional campaigns weeks before kickoff. With about five weeks until the June 11 start, no agreement has been announced.

The ongoing deadlock leaves limited time for broadcasters to put distribution in place and sell advertising inventory. (With Reuters Inputs)