'FIFA got greedy' ― Why football fans in India may not be able to watch World Cup games on TV this year
Key takeaways
- The 2026 World Cup is weeks away, but one of the most populated countries in the world doesn't have a broadcasting deal.
- Talks are reportedly ongoing, with time zones and cost expectations clear stumbling blocks, but there is also a feeling that FIFA has misunderstood its two biggest markets.
- "The Indian market is a sort of a brute force market," Nandan Kamath, one of India's leading sports lawyers and a key figure in the country's sports policy, told DW.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The 2026 World Cup is weeks away, but one of the most populated countries in the world doesn't have a broadcasting deal. Why?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dd VEIndia has a great number of football fans, but the sport doesn't dominate in a way that can currently meet FIFA's broadcasting demands Image: Amlan Biswas/Pacific Press/picture alliance Advertisement Just weeks from the start of the 2026 World Cup, India is without a broadcasting deal. Talks are reportedly ongoing, with time zones and cost expectations clear stumbling blocks, but there is also a feeling that FIFA has misunderstood its two biggest markets.
"The Indian market is a sort of a brute force market," Nandan Kamath, one of India's leading sports lawyers and a key figure in the country's sports policy, told DW. "It's the numbers rather than the willingness."