【World Cup 2026】China's World Cup broadcasting rights remain undecided; there is a significant gap between FIFA and CCTV's bids. Will mainland Chinese stay up late to watch the matches?

The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11, with less than five weeks until the opening. Broadcast rights for China and India have yet to be finalized, and negotiations have stalled. FIFA’s budget is far below the asking price from the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, and talks with Reliance Industries and Disney (NYSE: DIS) joint venture JioStar in India have also come to a standstill due to large bid gaps, casting a shadow over this quadrennial event’s broadcast in the two major markets.

Hong Kong Now TV and ViuTV Exclusive Broadcast of the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11. Although FIFA states that agreements have been reached with broadcasters in over 175 regions worldwide, negotiations for broadcast rights in China and India are still ongoing.

Among them, Hong Kong Telecom (06823) and PCCW (00008) under Now TV and ViuTV have secured exclusive rights to broadcast the 2026 World Cup, reportedly for about $25 million USD; Now TV has been the exclusive broadcaster in Hong Kong for three consecutive World Cups since 2018. Now TV will broadcast all 104 matches live, while free-to-air channel ViuTV will air 25 selected matches, including the opening game and the final.

CCTV Budget Only $60-80 Million USD

According to domestic media reports, FIFA initially quoted $250-300 million USD, but CCTV’s budget is only $60-80 million USD. Subsequently, FIFA lowered its asking price to about $120-150 million USD, but a gap remains. FIFA admits negotiations are still ongoing.

Domestic media pointed out that in previous World Cups, CCTV obtained broadcast rights early and aired promotional content and sponsor ads weeks before the tournament. In recent years, the cost of World Cup broadcast rights in China has continued to rise, with combined prices of about $115 million USD for 2010 and 2014, and approximately $300 million USD for 2018 and 2022.

World Cup About 70% of Matches Held in Early Morning Beijing Time

However, since this year’s World Cup is held in North America, about 70% of matches will take place between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. Beijing time. The knockout stage matches will not start earlier than 1 a.m., and after the semifinals, matches will kick off at 3 a.m., raising concerns about viewership and advertising revenue for Chinese broadcasters.

In India, Reuters cited sources saying FIFA has asked India for $100 million USD for broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments, but JioStar is only willing to bid $20 million USD, which FIFA cannot accept. JioStar believes that since this year’s World Cup is held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, most matches will be broadcast after midnight in India, likely resulting in lower local viewership.

China and India Contribute One-Fifth of Global Viewership

Data shows that China and India together contribute a significant share of World Cup viewership, accounting for 20.6% of the 2022 tournament’s traditional TV ratings, with streaming media platforms like mobile and YouTube also accounting for about 20%.

FIFA Projects $13 Billion in Revenue Over Four Years

In recent years, FIFA has continuously raised its revenue forecasts. The latest estimate predicts that from 2023 to 2026, revenue will reach $13 billion USD, with nearly $9 billion expected from this summer’s World Cup.

The global TV broadcast rights for the World Cup are one of FIFA’s main revenue sources. This year’s broadcast rights are expected to surpass the $3.4 billion USD from Qatar 2022 and the $3.1 billion USD from Russia 2018. FIFA has increased the number of participating teams from 32 to 48, and the number of matches from 64 to 104, meaning more content is available for sale. The tournament’s start times are also more suited to attract lucrative markets in North America and Europe than four years ago.