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- Fifa initially targeted US$100m from Indian broadcasters
- Zee to show next two men’s World Cups and 2027 Women’s World Cup in eight-year deal
Fifa has agreed a late media rights deal with India’s Zee Entertainment for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, avoiding a blackout in a major market less than two weeks before the tournament kicks off.
Zee will air live games across its recently-launched Unite8 Sports linear television channels and streaming platform Zee 5. The Economic Times reports that the agreement, which includes the 2030 Fifa World Cup, is expected to exceed US$40 million.
This is less than half the US$100 million that Fifa had initially hoped for and lower than its reduced asking price of US$60 million – around the same price that Viacom18 paid for the rights to the previous World Cup.
According to The Economic Times, JioStar, the joint venture between Disney Star and Reliance’s Viacom18, made a final offer of US$15 million for the 2026 World Cup before withdrawing from discussions. Meanwhile, Sony, which broadcast the 2014 and 2018 editions, reportedly held talks but opted not to lodge a bid.
The merger between Disney and Reliance’s Indian broadcast operations has significantly reduced competition for media rights, while the time difference between North America and Asia will make it challenging to attract large audiences and monetise the rights through subscriptions and advertising – especially with just days to go before the tournament starts.
Compounding these challenges is a renewed focus on profitability among streaming service in a market where paying for content is not normalised, economic challenges caused by conflict in the Middle East and a crackdown on betting in India which has affected advertising revenues. The dominance of cricket, and the Indian Premier League (IPL), is also a factor.
However not securing a deal of any description would have been a disaster for Fifa.
India has never qualified for a World Cup but it is a major source of viewership. Fifa claimed linear, digital and social content featuring the 2022 Fifa World Cup reached 746 million people in the South Asian country, with linear coverage watched by 83.8 million people and streaming attracting a further 84.9 million viewers.
“The Fifa World Cup is the greatest show on earth, and we are glad to partner with ‘Z’ for the first time, to bring this global spectacle to India,” said Romy Gai, Fifa’s chief business officer.
“The Indian market is of strategic importance for Fifa as it displays immense potential driven by a young and passionate audience. We believe the extensive broadcast and digital distribution ecosystem of ‘Z’, coupled with their deep understanding of local viewers and multi-platform capabilities, will play a pivotal role in expanding the reach of football with fans across every part of India.”
In addition to the two men’s World Cups, Zee will now be the home of 39 Fifa events until 2034, with its eight-year deal also including the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, and other competitions spanning futsal and youth soccer categories.
The Fifa deal marks a new catalyst for its sports rights portfolio, after it previously sold off its Ten Sports network to Sony for US$385 million in 2016. Zee has since shown the UAE-based International league T20 (ILT20) cricket competition for the past five years, as it looks to obtain sports content to drive audience engagement and advertising revenues.
Zee recently launched Unite8 in preparation for the rights. The network comprises two Hindi-language and two English-language linear channels. Beyond soccer and cricket, Unite8 will show kabaddi, badminton, wrestling and combat sports.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” added Punit Goenka, chief executive of Zee Entertainment Enterprises.
“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.
“Our approach has been to invest in properties where we see current relevance and future growth potential. Our partnership with Fifa will enable us to unlock the true value of the sport in line with our sharp focus on growth and profitability, while amplifying the excitement of the game for every fan.”
The deal with Zee comes a fortnight after Fifa clinched a late World Cup rights agreement with China Media Group (CMG) for its Chinese rights. CMG, which operates state-owned broadcaster CCTV, is paying a reported US$60 million, which represents just a fifth of Fifa’s original target of US$300 million.
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