India has one of the biggest football fanbases and steals headlines for its massive support for foreign countries during FIFA World Cups. However, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than a month away, Indian fans still don't know if they will be able to watch the match live from the comfort of their homes.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. However, no broadcaster in India has the media rights yet.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin soon and fans all over the world, including in India, are excited. However, with no broadcasting rights yet, Indian fans are at a risk of not being able to catch football's biggest tournament.
With no official broadcaster announced for India yet, rumours about Doordarshan (DD Sports) being in talks with FIFA has been doing the rounds, but nothing has been confirmed.
Reportedly, private broadcasters like Reliance-Disney) refused to bid for media right owing to the sky-high costs of more than $35M. Moreover, given the World Cup is happening on the other side of the globe, most matches will take place between midnight and early morning in India, making it an extremely unusual slot. However, fans are waiting for the national broadcaster to step in.
The issue pertaining to the media rights is getting complicated by the day and has even reached the Delhi High Court. The court issued notices on Tuesday to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Prasar Bharati requesting them to secure broadcasting rights of the tournament urgently.
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