Asia still waiting for FIFA 2026 World Cup TV deals
Football fans across Asia are still unsure if they will be able to watch the upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup from home. Many countries, including China, India, and Thailand, have not yet confirmed broadcast rights for the tournament. Factors like inconvenient match times and high rights fees have complicated negotiations. Broadcasters and FIFA are still in discussions to reach agreements before the tournament starts.
Match highlights
- Large parts of Asia, such as China, India, and Thailand, have not secured broadcast rights for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
- Unsociable match times are a major concern, with opening matches in Beijing and Shanghai starting at 3:00 am and in New Delhi at 12:30 am.
- Indian broadcaster JioStar reportedly offered $20 million for the rights, while FIFA initially sought $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments.
- Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission removed the World Cup from a “must-have” list last June, meaning it is not required to be on free-to-air TV.
- Malaysia has confirmed that Radio Televisyen Malaysia and Unifi TV will broadcast the tournament, but negotiations continue in other Asian markets.
