New Delhi: Former All India Football Federation General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran has announced that negotiations regarding the broadcast rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India have been completed, with an official announcement expected next week. Sharing the update on social media platform X, Prabhakaran said Indian football fans can now look forward to full accessibility of the tournament in the country. He described the development as “big news” and stated that the uncertainty surrounding the broadcasting arrangements had finally ended. The FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, had recently become a subject of concern among football supporters in India after reports suggested that no broadcaster had secured media rights for the tournament.
Also Read: Ashwin Sparks Speculation by Hinting at Dhoni as Future CSK Coach
The issue also reached the judiciary earlier this month when the Delhi High Court issued notices to the Centre and Prasar Bharati while hearing a petition seeking directions to ensure the World Cup is broadcast in India, particularly through free-to-air platforms such as Doordarshan and DD Sports. The petition, filed by advocate Avdhesh Bairwa, argued that millions of football fans could be deprived of watching one of the world’s biggest sporting events if broadcasting arrangements were not finalised. It also highlighted that the FIFA World Cup had already been classified as a sporting event of national importance under the Sports Broadcasting Signals Act, 2007.
Reports earlier indicated that FIFA had initially valued the India broadcast package for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at nearly USD 100 million before reducing it to around USD 35 million due to limited interest from broadcasters. Prabhakaran’s statement has now brought relief to football fans across the country, who were eagerly awaiting clarity on the tournament’s telecast in India.
