Indian football fans are on the verge of being able to stream the FIFA World Cup 2026, following the completion of broadcast rights negotiations. An official announcement regarding the broadcasting partner in India is expected next week, bringing an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the tournament's coverage in the country.

Broadcast Rights Negotiations Concluded

Shaji Prabhakaran, the former general secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), confirmed that negotiations for the broadcast deal have been finalized. In a post on X, he expressed his excitement, stating, "BIG NEWS FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL FANS! The wait is finally over. Negotiations are complete, and the official announcement for the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasting partner in India is expected next week." He reassured fans that they can now look forward to fully accessing the World Cup.

Background on the Negotiations

This update follows reports from Reuters indicating that FIFA media rights officials had recently visited India amid ongoing discussions. Previous negotiations between FIFA and the Reliance-Disney joint venture had stalled due to disagreements over pricing. Reliance-Disney reportedly offered around $20 million for the rights, significantly lower than FIFA's initial asking price of $100 million, which was later adjusted to a minimum of $60 million. FIFA had previously stated that discussions regarding media rights in India were ongoing and confidential.

With the announcement on the horizon, Indian fans can finally anticipate watching the World Cup, alleviating concerns that had arisen during the prolonged deadlock over broadcast rights.