Overview
- China Media Group, which announced the deal Friday, secured exclusive mainland rights through 2031 covering the 2026 and 2030 men’s World Cups and the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, with local reports putting 2026 near $60 million.
- In India there is still no official broadcaster, after the Delhi High Court on May 11 issued a notice to Prasar Bharati in response to a petition seeking free-to-air access on public channels.
- Talks in India have been slowed by a wide pricing gap, with FIFA’s initial ask near $100 million later reported around $35 million and JioStar’s offer near $20 million, and by late-night local kickoffs that weaken ad revenue for a sport with few in-game commercial breaks.
- Global access measures are in place as talks continue, including FOX and FS1 carrying all 104 matches in the U.S. with every game streaming on FOX One, Spanish coverage on Telemundo and Peacock, YouTube showing the first 10 minutes of every match, and Tubi streaming the opening ceremonies and two matches free in 4K.
- The Chinese agreement ends uncertainty for a key sponsor market, while millions of Indian fans still face last-minute clarity that could come from a late private deal or a public-broadcaster fallback.