Story perspectives

Court Notice Spurs India Hunt for 2026 World Cup Broadcast

5/12/2026

Summary

India Seeks Partner

India lacks a broadcast partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA cut the 2026-2030 rights price to $35 million and turned down JioStar’s $20 million bid.
CCTV’s $60-80 million budget is below FIFA’s $250-300 million ask, leaving a China deal unconfirmed despite China accounting for 49.8 % of 2022 viewership.
The Delhi High Court notice to the Ministry and Prasar Bharati has led analysts to expect a $15-$20 million FIFA-JioStar settlement as the deadline nears.

Summary

Prabhakaran Critiques Timing

Only 14 games will start before midnight in India, a sharp drop from prior tournaments.
In 2018, all but one match began before midnight; in 2022, all but 20 did.
Shaji Prabhakaran says the timing is being used as an excuse for the deadlock.
He notes that kickoff times mirror UEFA Champions League schedules, which Indian fans already follow, and that viewers have watched matches these hours.

History

Historical Context

After FIFA sold the 1994 English-language World Cup rights to ABC and ESPN—its first full U.S. broadcast that introduced on-screen scores and set a record attendance of 3,587,538—the tournament proved lucrative. Today India’s Ministry of Information, JioStar and Prasar Bharati are bargaining over a $35 million package, echoing the 1994 U.S. rights breakthrough.

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India Seeks Partner

India lacks a broadcast partner for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA cut the 2026-2030 rights price to $35 million and turned down JioStar’s $20 million bid.
CCTV’s $60-80 million budget is below FIFA’s $250-300 million ask, leaving a China deal unconfirmed despite China accounting for 49.8 % of 2022 viewership.
The Delhi High Court notice to the Ministry and Prasar Bharati has led analysts to expect a $15-$20 million FIFA-JioStar settlement as the deadline nears.

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