Zee Entertainment in Talks with FIFA to Stream 2026 World Cup in India
Zee confirms discussions with FIFA as Reliance-Disney talks stall; rights negotiations highlight Indian market potential
Quick Look
- Zee Entertainment says it is in discussions with FIFA to stream and broadcast the 2026 World Cup in India, as talks between a Reliance-Disney joint venture and FIFA appear deadlocked weeks before the tournament begins on June 11.
- FIFA has been seeking high rights fees, with Zee leveraging its Unite8 Sports push to strengthen sports offerings.
AI-generated summary
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.
The announcement on Tuesday provided no financial details and comes as talks between a Reliance-Disney joint venture and FIFA 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, according to Reuters.
The expected amount still far exceeds the $20 million offered by Reliance-Disney, led by 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.
Zee Entertainment disclosed its talks with FIFA as part of its Unite8 Sports launch, a dedicated portfolio of sports channels to strengthen its sports offerings to consumers.
India accounted for 2.9 percent of the global linear TV reach of the Qatar World Cup in 2022, trailing only China in overall engagement figures, with more than 745 million fans following the action across all media platforms in the country, according to FIFA.
In television viewing numbers, India was among the top 10 countries — ahead of World Cup participants Germany, France and England — with nearly 84 million viewers.
