Friday Jun 05, 2026
Friday Jun 05, 2026
Thursday, 4 June 2026 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
FIFA has struck a deal with India’s Zee Entertainment to broadcast the World Cup in the country, ending a months-long standoff over the tournament’s availability in one of the last major markets where rights remained unsold.
While the financial terms of the package – signed on Monday – were not disclosed, FIFA reportedly sought about $ 100 million for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments before slashing its asking price to $ 60 million.
The deal gives Zee a toehold in India’s sports broadcast market, where the Reliance-Disney joint venture JioStar holds rights ranging from the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament to the English Premier League football.
It covers 39 FIFA events over eight years through 2034, including the Women’s World Cup in 2027, according to a joint statement from FIFA and Zee.
The agreement came just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on 11 June across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Only 14 out of the total 104 World Cup games will begin before midnight for fans in India.
The final will be held in New Jersey on 19 July, beginning at 19:00 GMT, which will be 12:30 a.m. on 20 July in India. By comparison, 98.4% of matches at the 2018 World Cup started before midnight, and 82.5% at the following edition in Qatar.
