India's legal push to secure free FIFA World Cup 2026 TV broadcast amid stalled rights deals

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Indian government and public broadcaster Prasar Bharati after a petition sought free, public‑television coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The filing argues that no domestic broadcaster has secured the tournament’s media rights, which FIFA originally valued at about $100 million but later reduced to roughly $35 million for India, leaving millions of fans without access. The petition cites the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, claiming the government must ensure the event is available on Doordarshan and its digital platforms.

At the same time, FIFA reports that broadcast rights have yet to be sold in both India and China, the two largest potential markets. Initial asking prices were $100 million for India and $250‑300 million for China, but broadcasters are reluctant due to cricket’s dominance, inconvenient match times and lack of a national team. Indian media firm JioStar is reportedly willing to pay no more than $20 million, while Chinese state channel CCTV has a budget of $60‑80 million, far below FIFA’s expectations.