Get you up to speed: India’s Zee Entertainment signs World Cup 2026 broadcast deal with FIFA
FIFA has finalised a broadcast deal with India’s Zee Entertainment for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, along with other FIFA events until 2034. This agreement addresses months of stalled negotiations and follows FIFA’s downward adjustment of its asking price from approximately $100 million to $60 million.
The broadcast agreement between FIFA and Zee Entertainment will cover 39 events through to 2034, including the Women’s World Cup in 2027. The deal was finalised just ten days before the tournament’s opening match on June 11, raising concerns about viewing times for the Indian audience due to significant time zone differences.
FIFA’s agreement with Zee Entertainment for the broadcast of the 2026 and 2030 World Cups addresses previous concerns over unsold rights in India, amidst reported financial negotiations that reduced FIFA’s asking price from $100 million to $60 million. Experts warn that the scheduling of many matches during odd hours for Indian audiences could affect viewership, with only 14 of 104 matches starting before midnight local time.
What remains unclear — The financial details of the deal between FIFA and Zee Entertainment have not been disclosed.
Zee Entertainment secures broadcast rights for World Cup 2026 from FIFA
Sport|World Cup 2026India’s Zee Entertainment signs World Cup 2026 broadcast deal with FIFA
Zee will broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cups and the 2027 Women’s World Cup among 39 FIFA tournaments until 2034.
A boy plays in front an image of Brazil’s footballer Neymar painted on a wall in an alley in Kolkata [File: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters]
FIFA has struck a deal with India’s Zee Entertainment to broadcast the World Cup in the country, ending a months-long standoff over the tournament’s availability in one of the last major markets where rights remained unsold.
While the financial terms of the package – signed on Monday – were not disclosed, FIFA reportedly sought about $100m for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments before slashing its asking price to $60m.
The deal gives Zee a toehold in India’s sports broadcast market, where the Reliance-Disney joint venture JioStar holds rights ranging from the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament to the English Premier League football.
It covers 39 FIFA events over eight years through 2034, including the Women’s World Cup in 2027, according to a joint statement from FIFA and Zee.
Shares of Zee were about 7 percent higher on the day after the announcement.
The agreement came just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Last month, experts told WTX News that the kickoff times for the majority of the matches are the biggest concern for Indian broadcasters since many games will be played at odd hours for the Indian audience, with a 10-12 hour time difference between the host cities and the South Asian nation.
Only 14 out of the total 104 World Cup games will begin before midnight for fans in India.
The final will be held in New Jersey on July 19, beginning at 19:00 GMT, which will be 12:30am on July 20 in India. By comparison, 98.4 percent of matches at the 2018 World Cup started before midnight, and 82.5 percent at the following edition in Qatar.
Karan Taurani, executive vice president at investment firm Elara Capital, sees TV as a “struggling” medium in India.
“When you have these kinds of sporting events, effectively it is mostly digital that is monetising and raising big money,” Taurani told WTX News. “That is a big reason why no one’s showing interest in the FIFA World Cup.”
Taurani explained that cricket leads the sports economy market in India.
“Only a small fraction of people who watch the Indian Premier League will watch the FIFA World Cup,” he said, adding that an even smaller fraction tune in past midnight to watch a match.
Viacom18 paid about $60m for rights to the 2022 World Cup, which was hosted in Qatar in time zones far more favourable for Indian audiences. Most of this year’s matches will be screened late at night in India due to the time difference, something that dampened broadcaster appetite and complicated FIFA’s sales efforts.