India’s Zee Entertainment signs World Cup 2026 broadcast deal with FIFA
- 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. India’s Zee Entertainment signs World Cup 2026 broadcast deal with FIFA | Daily FT
