Fifa has secured a last-minute media rights deal with Zee Entertainment for the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups, as well as the 2027 Women's World Cup and other Fifa events until 2034, for over US$40 million. Zee will distribute the content via its linear Unite8 Sports channels and the Zee 5 streaming platform in India. This deal follows a withdrawal of a US$15 million bid by JioStar and ensures the World Cup will be broadcast in the Indian market.
This eleventh-hour deal avoids a broadcast blackout for the 2026 World Cup in India, a critical market that saw 746 million views for the 2022 tournament. However, it highlights declining rights values for Fifa as competition for Indian sports rights has diminished following the Disney-Reliance merger. Industry challenges like time differences, a focus on streaming profitability, and cricket's dominance contributed to Fifa accepting a significantly lower-than-anticipated fee. Businesses should observe if this trend of lower sports rights payouts, especially in emerging markets, persists for major global sporting events.
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