FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast still in jeopardy, DD Sports also rejects request
India still has no confirmed broadcaster for the FIFA World Cup 2026 despite the tournament starting in three weeks. Prasar Bharati told the Delhi High Court it is not responsible for acquiring rights, while FIFA’s valuation remains a key hurdle.
With nearly 20 days left for the FIFA World Cup 2026 to begin, uncertainty remains regarding its broadcasting in India. The issue reached the Delhi High Court earlier in the week, where Prasar Bharati clarified that it does not bear responsibility for securing broadcasting rights for the competition in the country.
The matter came up before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav during proceedings linked to a petition that sought intervention to guarantee telecast access for Indian viewers. The plea requested that major matches from the tournament, including the opener, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final be made available on public platforms such as Doordarshan and DD Sports.
The legal proceedings shifted direction on May 19 after Advocate Avdhesh Bairwa, who filed the petition, requested permission to withdraw it while retaining the option to approach another court for further relief. Notably, earlier this month, the High Court issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as well as Prasar Bharati following concerns surrounding the absence of an official broadcaster for the tournament in India.
The situation has become increasingly striking given the scale of football engagement in the country. Court submissions highlighted India’s enormous digital interaction numbers during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Indian fans reportedly generated close to 745.7 million engagements despite the national team not participating in the event.
Yet with the 2026 edition beginning on June 12 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, no broadcaster has formally secured Indian media rights.
FIFA seek at least USD 35 million
Documents referenced during the hearing stated that FIFA initially valued the India package for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments at around USD 100 million before lowering expectations to nearly USD 35 million amid weak market response. The petition also referred to reports claiming a USD 20 million proposal from JioStar had been turned down.
Industry hesitation appears linked to commercial concerns around scheduling and investment returns. Since many matches will take place during overnight hours for Indian audiences, broadcasters are reportedly reluctant to commit heavily while already carrying substantial cricket-related rights costs.
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