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By Shakir Husain
HYDERABAD, May 7 (Bernama) -- While Malaysia has secured broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, football fans in India and China remain unsure when deals will be finalised to allow them to watch the tournament.
Co-hosted by the United States (US), Canada and Mexico, the World Cup is just over a month away, but a broadcast agreement is eluding FIFA's two most populous nations.
The tournament begins with the Mexico–South Africa match on June 11 at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, while the first game in the US will be held in Inglewood, California, on June 12.
Indian online video streaming platform JioHotstar is in advanced talks for broadcast rights with football's world governing body following two meetings last week, according to Indian media reports.
FIFA is reportedly keen to seal a deal this week for around US$20 million after drastically reducing its initial asking price, as time is running out for negotiations.
The world football governing body was looking to sell broadcast rights in India for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups for US$100 million but lowered its price to US$35 million after failing to find a buyer, the reports said.
Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, which became part of JioStar following a merger deal in 2024, reportedly paid around US$60 million for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The timing of the matches, past midnight in India, makes the North American event less financially rewarding for Indian bidders and advertisers.
Potential advertising revenue for the India rights holder may also be limited by the West Asia conflict.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is optimistic that the India impasse may end soon, according to a report on the India Today website on Thursday.
"Either FIFA may have to come down a bit, or the broadcasters bidding for it may have to go up a bit. I don't think anyone will ignore such a huge market like India," the federation's deputy general secretary M. Satyanarayan was quoted as saying.
The Malaysian government allocated RM24 million for the World Cup broadcasting rights deal.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Unifi TV will be the official broadcasters of the World Cup in Malaysia.
In China, FIFA is holding negotiations with CCTV for a broadcasting deal.
FIFA initially asked CCTV for between US$250 million and US$300 million, while CCTV's budget was US$60 million to US$80 million, according to Chinese media reports.
Forty-eight teams will be competing in the tournament next month, compared with 32 in the Qatar edition. The tournament will feature 104 matches, compared with 64 in the previous edition.
-- BERNAMA
