Millions of football fans in the world's two most populous nations may be unable to watch the FIFA World Cup starting next month due to a deadlock over broadcast rights in India and no official decision in China.

China, which FIFA says accounted for 49.8 percent of all viewing hours on digital and social platforms globally during the 2022 World Cup, has yet to announce a deal. The same applies to India.

FIFA has concluded agreements with broadcasters in at least 175 territories worldwide, the global football governing body told Reuters. Discussions in China and India are ongoing and must remain confidential at this stage, FIFA said.

The lack of a confirmed broadcast agreement with India or China is unusual at this stage. In past World Cups, including 2018 and 2022, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV secured rights well in advance and began airing promotional content weeks before the tournament.

The 2026 tournament kicks off on June 11, leaving barely five weeks for a deal to be finalized, broadcast infrastructure set up, and advertising inventory sold.

Source: www.aljazeera.com