With weeks to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup, India, one of the world's most populous countries, still lacks a broadcasting deal. Talks are ongoing, but time zones and cost expectations remain key stumbling blocks.

According to leading Indian sports lawyer Nandan Kamath, the Indian market is a "brute force market" driven by advertising revenue rather than subscriptions. Viewing numbers for the Qatar tournament were good, but failed to generate profit for Viacom18.

Kamath notes that FIFA must lower its expectations, as the premium subscriber base is too small. Netflix and Formula 1 adapted their pricing, but FIFA has yet to find a market-fit model.

Only JioStar and Sony are competing for rights, limiting competition. Cricket remains the main obstacle: the most expensive rights belong to IPL and ICC, with FIFA not even in the top two.

Time zones are also problematic, with most matches kicking off during Indian night hours. The Indian men's team has never played at a World Cup, and the country's Olympic ambitions push football further down the priority list.

In China, the situation is different: on May 15, national media reported a broadcasting deal for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. University of Hong Kong professor Xu Guoqi says China has always been obsessed with football, and time difference is not an issue.

Guoqi claims FIFA "got greedy" and misunderstands the Chinese market. Although the Chinese men's team hasn't qualified since 2002, four Chinese companies remain tournament sponsors.

Kamath concludes that a deal will be reached, but FIFA must find innovative models like virtual advertising or integrating Indian sponsors. However, willingness to pay high subscription fees is unlikely to change.

Source: www.dw.com