India’s Zee Entertainment is in talks with Fifa to stream and broadcast the 2026 World Cup in the country, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
The announcement, which provided no financial details, comes as talks between a Reliance-Disney joint venture and the football body are at a deadlock, just weeks before the tournament kicks off on June 11.
Fifa, which had initially sought $100 million for broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in India, was last looking for no less than about $60 million, Reuters had reported.
The expected amount still far exceeds the $20 million offered by Reliance-Disney, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance.
Sony also held talks but decided not to make an offer for Fifa rights for India.
Fifa has concluded agreements with broadcasters in more than 180 territories globally, it said previously.
Zee Entertainment disclosed its talks with Fifa as part of its launch of Unite8 Sports, a dedicated portfolio of sports channels to strengthen its sports offerings to consumers.
According to figures released by Fifa, India contributed 2.9 per cent of the global linear television reach for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, ranking second only to China in overall engagement. More than 745 million fans in India followed the tournament across various media platforms.
India also ranked among the top 10 nations in television viewership for the World Cup, drawing nearly 84 million viewers — ahead of participating countries such as Germany, France and England.
Source: Khaleej Times