FIFA Fails to Land 2026 World Cup Deals in China, India as Prices Drop to $35 Million
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 12
FIFA Fails to Land 2026 World Cup Deals in China, India as Prices Drop to $35 Million
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 12
One month before kickoff, FIFA still has no 2026 World Cup broadcast agreements in China or India, leaving access to all 104 matches unresolved in two markets totaling 2.7 billion people.
Rights prices have fallen sharply without closing deals: India's reported ask dropped to $35 million from $100 million, with JioStar bidding about $20 million; in China, FIFA's reduced $120 million-$150 million range still exceeds CCTV's roughly $60 million-$80 million budget.
Broadcasters are resisting because sports-rights competition has thinned, cricket remains India's priority, IPL viewership on JioStar is reportedly down 26%, and the rupee has weakened to 95 per dollar from 78 in 2022.
Viewing conditions also hurt demand: only 14 matches will start before midnight in India, while Beijing's 12-hour gap with New York weakens advertiser appeal and China's men's team again failed to qualify.
FIFA has sent a senior delegation to Beijing and may still strike a China deal within days, while an Asian football official said India could take another two weeks, risking wider pressure on FIFA's pricing power.
With a blackout looming for billions, is FIFA losing its grip on the world's most valuable sports event?
As two giants push back, will FIFA's concessions trigger a collapse in global sports rights values?