The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. However, FIFA had initially sought approximately $100 million for the India rights package covering the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups before reducing its asking price to $60 million, according to previous reports by Reuters.
The deal comes just 10 days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to kick off on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The acquisition marks a significant development in India’s sports broadcasting landscape after negotiations involving several major broadcasters. JioStar, the Reliance-Disney joint venture and India’s dominant sports broadcaster, had submitted an offer of around million for the rights package. The proposal was rejected by FIFA, according to earlier Reuters reports.
JioStar had previously aired the 2022 FIFA World Cup through its predecessor, Viacom18. Meanwhile, Sony, which held the broadcasting rights for the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups in India, also engaged in discussions regarding the rights package but ultimately did not submit a bid.
With the agreement now finalized, Zee Entertainment will hold the rights to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 38 other FIFA events through 2034, securing a major position in the Indian sports media market and ensuring that one of the world’s most-watched sporting events reaches audiences across the country.
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