Zee nears FIFA deal for India rights to 2026 World Cup

With just two weeks remaining until the tournament begins, a last-minute agreement appears imminent to secure television and streaming coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for viewers in India. Zee Entertainment Enterprises confirmed on Tuesday that it is in active discussions with FIFA to acquire the broadcast rights for the Indian subcontinent.

The announcement accompanied the launch of Zee's new portfolio of dedicated sports channels, Unite8 Sports, signaling a strategic push to reenter the sports broadcasting market. The company stated it would leverage its existing ZEE5 streaming platform to handle the digital feed. This development follows months of stalled negotiations that had left millions of fans uncertain about how they would watch the tournament, which kicks off on June 11 across North America.

The impasse stemmed from a significant gap between FIFA's asking price and what major Indian media companies were willing to pay. FIFA initially sought approximately $100 million for a bundled package covering both the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups. After finding limited interest, the football governing body reportedly lowered its valuation. According to reports, the final...