Zee Entertainment is in talks with FIFA for World Cup broadcast rights in India

India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises is in talks with FIFA to acquire streaming and broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The move comes at a significant time for Indian Sports Broadcasting Market, negotiations between FIFA and the Reliance-Disney joint venture are currently deadlocked, just weeks before the tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026.

FIFA had initially demanded nearly $100 million for the rights package for India, which would cover the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. Reuters had earlier reported that the global soccer body later lowered its expectations and demanded at least $60 million for the deal.

The revised valuation still remains substantially higher than the reported $20 million bid submitted by the Reliance-Disney combination, led by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries.

Japan’s Sony Group Corporation has also explored the possibility of bidding for the Indian rights. However, Sony ultimately decided not to make a formal bid for the FIFA pack.

Zee disclosed its discussions with FIFA during the launch of ‘Unite8 Sports’, a dedicated portfolio of sports channels that the company said will strengthen its sports offerings and expand its reach among Indian audiences.

The broadcaster is looking to expand its sports business amid growing competition in India’s media and streaming market, where premium sports properties continue to play a major role in subscriber and ad revenue growth.

FIFA has previously said it has already secured broadcast deals in more than 180 territories around the world, although India’s rights remain outstanding despite a rapidly expanding digital sports audience and growing interest in football.

India accounted for 2.9 percent of the global linear TV reach of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, underscoring the growing importance of the market for international soccer broadcasters and rights holders.

Should Zee succeed in securing the rights, the acquisition would mark one of the company’s biggest moves in sports broadcasting and significantly strengthen its position in India’s competitive sports media landscape.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

May 27, 2026 0:59 AM IST