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.
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). According to that same report, Sony, which broadcast the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups in India, also held talks but ultimately decided not to make an offer.
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. A joint statement from FIFA and Zee said the deal covers 39 FIFA events over eight years through 2034, including the Women's World Cup in 2027.
For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Viacom18, now part of JioStar, had paid roughly $61-62 million for the media rights.
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.
