FIFA’s ₹326 Cr Stunner: No India Broadcaster for 2026 World Cup Over Timing Woes

Pressure is mounting on FIFA, football’s global governing body. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has no answers yet. Less than 50 days remain before the start of the FIFA World Cup. Yet, no one has purchased the broadcast rights for the World Cup in India. Because of this, uncertainty looms over Indian fans watching World Cup matches. Even Star, Sony, and other channels have not shown interest in buying the rights.

The core issue is match timings. The World Cup, set to be held from June 11 across the USA, Mexico, and Canada, is popular worldwide, but the time difference is creating problems. Most matches will be held at times that are inconvenient for Indian viewers. According to Indian Standard Time, many games will start late at night or early morning — 12:30 am, 3:30 am, 5:30 am, and 6:30 am. Very few matches are scheduled for 9:30 pm. Not many games will be at the prime-time 7:30 pm slot either. This timing is a major hurdle.

Advertiser demand is low. FIFA had set a reserve price of 168 crore rupees for the India broadcast rights. At that price, buying the rights to broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cups would cost around 326 crore rupees. But no organization agreed. As a result, FIFA itself stands to lose 326 crore rupees. With no organization expressing interest, uncertainty is only growing.