The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to India’s federal government and state broadcaster Prasar Bharati on a petition demanding free-to-air broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The event is scheduled between June 11-19, July, 2026.
No broadcaster in India has yet secured media rights, making it one of the few major markets globally without a broadcast arrangement. Millions of Indian football fans risk losing access to one of the world’s biggest sporting events unless the impasse is resolved before the tournament begins.
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Pricing Gaps Halted the Broadcast Deal
FIFA valued the India broadcasting rights package for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at USD 100 million(approx). It reflected the size and engagement potential of India’s vast football audience.
Due to a lack of interest from broadcasters, FIFA later reduced the valuation to nearly USD 35 million. Even at this reduced rate, the deal has remained unsigned. Industry reports claim JioStar submitted a bid of USD 20 million, which FIFA allegedly rejected.
The situation has exposed the wide gap between FIFA’s valuation expectations and broadcasters’ willingness to pay.
Private networks have baulked at the pricing despite the tournament’s global reach. Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster, has not yet moved to acquire the rights independently.
Sources say the decline from USD 100 million to USD 35 million signals FIFA’s struggle to find takers in India’s sports broadcasting market.
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Constitutional Grounds: High Court Steps In
The petition reads that the FIFA World Cup is a “sporting event of national importance” under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007. This classification puts obligations on the government and the state broadcaster to ensure public access.
The petitioner contends that failure to broadcast would violate citizens’ rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution, including the right to receive information through television and public broadcasting platforms.
The plea invokes both equality and informational rights as grounds for judicial intervention. The petition further states that Prasar Bharati has the infrastructure to broadcast the tournament on DD Sports, DD Free Dish, and its WAVES OTT platform.
The petition further argues that infrastructure is not a constraint. What is lacking is the acquisition of broadcasting rights.
India is among the top global markets for engagement during the FIFA World Cup 2022. This data underscores India’s substantial football viewership, supporting the public interest argument.
The court has now asked the Centre and Prasar Bharati to respond, indicating preliminary acceptance of the petition’s urgency.
