FIFA has struck a deal with India's Zee Entertainment to broadcast the 2026 and the 2030 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, according to media reports.
The agreement comes just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
While financial terms of the Zee deal were not disclosed, a report in The Economic Times estimates that the deal value exceeds $40 million for the two tournaments, with a larger share of the value attributed to the 2030 edition. Other media reports suggested a deal valued at $30-35 million.
A joint statement from FIFA and Zee said the deal covers 39 FIFA events over eight years through 2034, includingthe Women's World Cup in 2027.
Soaring valuation, few takers
Last month, Reuters had reported that incumbent JioStar had offered $20 million for broadcast rights, a fraction of FIFA's asking price (pegged at nearly $100 million for both editions). It was reported that Jio was worried about revenues as telecast timings, suitable for the Americas, are not favourable to India. For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Viacom18, now part of JioStar, had paid roughly $61-62 million for the media rights.
The Reuters report also mentioned that Sony, which broadcast the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups in India, had held talks with FIFA but ultimately decided against submitting a bid.
The development will mark Zee’s return to sports broadcasting nearly a decade after it exited the business by selling Ten Sports to Sony Pictures Networks India for $385 million. The company has announced the launch of four dedicated sports channels, Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD, to ensure an engaging viewing experience for sports fans across the country as it prepares to bring FIFA events to Indian audiences over the next eight years.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” Punit Goenka, CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is reported to have said. “Football cuts across regions and demographics, and the investments in garnering the media rights and launching dedicated sports channels reflect our clear belief in its long-term potential.”
