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Why Indian broadcasters hesitant to buy FIFA WC 2026, 2030 media rights? | FIFA World Cup 2022

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FIFA is facing a major challenge in India as the media rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups remain unsold, despite the 2026 tournament kicking off in just a few weeks. The governing body began the sale process in July 2025, initially asking for $100 million, but has now slashed the price to $35 million in a bid to attract buyers. However, even this steep reduction has not been enough to secure a deal. 


JioStar front runners so far

 


JioStar, formed after the merger of Star India and Viacom18, is currently the leading contender, valuing the rights at around $25 million for both editions. Its predecessor, Viacom18, had paid $62 million for the 2022 World Cup. Currency fluctuations, particularly a stronger US dollar, have further increased costs for broadcasters dealing with dollar-denominated rights.

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Let us try to find out why is this the case in a country where football is consistently growing interest among the young generation – 
 


Consolidation reduces competition

 


The merger of Star India and Viacom18 has dramatically reduced competition, leaving fewer serious bidders. Sony Sports, Eurosport, and FanCode have also shown limited appetite for high-value sports rights, citing profitability concerns and strategic priorities. Even Zee Entertainment, exploring sports channels, is yet to enter high-value deals.

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Cricket’s dominance and budget constraints

 

Heavy investments in cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and ICC events, have consumed a large share of broadcasters’ budgets. Cricket also offers more advertising opportunities with frequent commercial breaks, unlike football, which restricts inventory and limits revenue potential. 
For a comparison to that of cricket media rights, the ongoing IPL media rights cycle for 2023–2027 is worth ₹48,390 crore, which averages around ₹9,678 crore per year. This breaks down to roughly ₹118 crore ($14.61 million) for each match. 

 

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Unfavourable match timings

 


FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be held across the US, Canada, and Mexico, meaning games will air late at night or early morning in India. These inconvenient timings are expected to lower live viewership, further diminishing ad revenue potential.

 

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Football’s fragmented audience

 


While football is India’s second-most popular sport with over 300 million fans, the viewership is highly concentrated in metros and regions like Kerala, Goa, and the Northeast. This fragmented audience makes it harder to attract mass-market advertising.

 

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Declining rights values across leagues

 


The hesitation is part of a broader trend. Premier League media rights have fallen from $145 million (2013-16) to $65 million (2025–28). Similarly, Indian Super League (ISL) rights dropped from Rs 275 crore to Rs 8.62 crore in one season. Bundesliga, La Liga, and UEFA competitions have also seen declining valuations in India.

 

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Structural changes in India’s sports media market, the dominance of cricket, fragmented football viewership, limited ad inventory, and unfavorable match timings together explain why broadcasters remain cautious about investing in FIFA World Cup 2026 and 2030 media rights. Despite football’s popularity, these factors make it a high-risk proposition for Indian buyers.

 

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Sports

Better than Vini and Mbappe in my books”, “Statpadding king

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Barcelona fans online were left surprised by Ferran Torres’ performance in their 4-1 win over Espanyol in LaLiga on Saturday (April 11). Torres scored a brace in the game, marking his first time scoring since January.

Ferran Torres was in the starting XI for Espanyol as the main striker and scored a brace in the first 25 minutes (9′ and 25′), both assisted by Lamine Yamal. Things did not slow down for Barcelona in the second half, with Yamal (87′) and Marcus Rashford (89′) finding the back of the net. Pol Lozano (56′) denied the Catalans a clean sheet.

Ferran Torres delivered an excellent performance in 74 minutes of gameplay, scoring twice from two shots on target. He was offside once, which denied him a hat-trick, delivered two key passes, and had a 100% passing accuracy in his own half.

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Fans took to X to react to Ferran Torres’ performance, with many being surprised by his showing after a goal drought for almost three months. One Culer wrote:

“Better than Vini and Mbappe in my books.”

Many Culers agreed and shared their takes online:

Barcelona fans continued to share their thoughts on the matter:

Following tonight’s brace, Ferran Torres has scored 18 times in 43 outings across competitions. The Spaniard is not a regular starter, with Robert Lewandowski being preferred for important games. However, Torres will be expected to maintain this form for the upcoming Champions League quarter-final second leg vs Atletico Madrid, as Barcelona will look to overcome a two-goal deficit.

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Ferran Torres opens up after ending three-month goal drought for Barcelona in 4-1 win vs Espanyol

Ferran Torres - Source: GettyFerran Torres - Source: Getty
Ferran Torres – Source: Getty

Speaking to reporters after the 4-1 win vs Espanyol (h/t Barca Universal), Ferran Torres shared his thoughts after scoring a brace in the game. The goals marked an end to Torres’ goal drought for the Catalans for the last three months. He said:

“I know that strikers are measured by their goals, and I hadn’t scored in a while. I knew that I would eventually return to scoring form if I had patience.”

Torres also spoke about his celebration after scoring, dedicated to his naysayers.

“My celebration? There’s always some external noise about me, and pretty much always negative. It f*cks them up to see me score, so that message is for them,” he said.

With tonight’s win, Barcelona are nine points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga table. There’s a fair chance of them winning the league this season if they continue this momentum.

However, the Catalans have a big challenge ahead of overcoming their two-goal deficit in the UCL quarter-final second leg away from home vs Atletico Madrid. Flick’s side will focus on continuing such form in the Champions League to make the comeback possible.