Zee to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026 in India, secures 8-year deal

New Delhi ( Raghwendra Pratap Singh) : Indian football fans can finally breathe easy. Zee Entertainment on Monday secured the rights to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending months of uncertainty over where the tournament would be available in India.

The agreement comes just 10 days before the World Cup kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. India had been one of the last major markets without a broadcaster for football's showpiece event after lengthy negotiations between FIFA and potential rights holders.

The deal also gives Zee the rights to 38 other FIFA events through 2034, securing long-term coverage of international football for viewers in one of the sport's biggest markets.

Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. However, Reuters had previously reported that FIFA initially sought around 100 million US Dollars for the India package covering the 2026 and 2030 World Cups before reducing its asking price to 60 million US Dollars.

India's dominant sports broadcaster JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture that aired the 2022 FIFA World Cup through its predecessor Viacom18, had reportedly offered around 20 million US Dollars for the rights. The bid was rejected by FIFA, according to Reuters. Sony, which broadcast the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups in India, also held discussions over the rights package but ultimately did not submit a bid.