Asian broadcasters yet to finalise World Cup rights as tournament nears

ISLAMABAD: Large parts of Asia still do not have confirmed television rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the tournament now little more than a month away and concerns growing among fans in several major markets over how they will watch the competition.

The World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will begin on June 11 with Mexico taking on South Africa. It will be the biggest edition of the tournament so far, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches.

One of the main issues affecting negotiations in Asia is the timing of matches. In Beijing and Shanghai, both the opening game and the final are scheduled to start at 3:00am, while in New Delhi the same fixtures will begin at 12:30am. Some other matches, however, are expected to be played at more convenient hours for Asian audiences.

Sandeep Goyal, chairman of advertising agency Rediffusion, told AFP he was aware of discussions between FIFA and Indian broadcasters. He said the late-night and early-morning kick-off times were a major obstacle for broadcasters in India.

The first problem is of match timings.

Goyal said.

The bigger, better matches are at 12:30 am or 3:30 am. A few at 6:30 am. Except die-hard soccer fans, match viewership is likely to be low in India.

Therefore monetisation opportunities for the channels come down massively.

According to Goyal, JioStar, India’s biggest media group, offered $20 million for the rights, while Sony did not submit a bid. Indian media has reported that FIFA initially sought $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup rights. Goyal said the eventual agreement was likely to be concluded at a much lower figure than FIFA’s asking price.

China has also yet to announce a broadcast agreement. Neither India nor China has qualified for the tournament, but interest remains high, especially in China. FIFA data showed that China accounted for 49.8 percent of all hours viewed on digital and social platforms worldwide during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Chinese state media also entered the debate this week. The Global Times cited a 2015 regulatory notice stating that state broadcaster CCTV holds the exclusive authority to negotiate and acquire World Cup broadcasting rights in China. The newspaper said CCTV had historically secured such rights well before the tournament, allowing time for promotion and advertising.

Thailand is in a similar position, with no confirmed deal despite football’s strong popularity there. The country’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission removed the World Cup from its must-have list in June last year, meaning the event no longer has to be carried on free-to-air television.

Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, sought to reassure supporters on Tuesday.

Previous governments ensured free access to the World Cup, and my administration should not be an exception.

he told reporters.

Thailand had also faced difficulties securing rights for the 2022 World Cup before the Sports Authority of Thailand completed a reported $33 million agreement with FIFA at the last minute, funded by the NBTC and private partners including True Corp.

In Malaysia, the communications ministry said on Wednesday that national broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia and Unifi TV would air the tournament, following local media reports of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

James Walton, sports business leader at Deloitte Asia Pacific, told AFP that concerns about millions of Asian viewers missing the World Cup were overstated. He said such negotiations were common in every cycle, with broadcasters trying to balance rights costs against advertising returns or public value, while rights holders sought to maximise revenue from a limited-time package.

This happens every cycle in some countries.

Walton said in an email.

The reality is that it's almost unthinkable for most countries to not show the World Cup.

So one way or another, a deal will be reached.

He added that governments would recognise the public importance of access to the tournament, while FIFA would also want broad coverage to meet sponsor commitments, promote the sport and discourage piracy.

Responding to AFP questions about the unresolved rights issue, FIFA said it had already signed broadcast agreements in more than 175 countries.

Discussions in a few remaining markets regarding the sale of media rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are ongoing and must remain confidential at this stage.

the governing body said.