India’s Zee Entertainment said on Monday it had secured the rights to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 38 other FIFA events through 2034, ending a months-long standoff over the tournament’s availability in one of the world’s last unsold major markets.
Financial terms were not disclosed. FIFA had initially sought about $100 million for the India package covering the 2026 and 2030 World Cups before slashing its asking price to $60 million, Reuters previously reported.
The agreement comes just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
India’s dominant sports broadcaster JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture that aired the 2022 World Cup through its predecessor Viacom18, had offered about $20 million for the rights but was rejected by FIFA, Reuters previously reported.
Sony, which held rights for the 2014 and 2018 tournaments, held discussions but did not bid.
(Reuters)
