Delhi High Court Seeks Broadcast Assurance for FIFA World Cup 2026 in India

The Delhi High Court has directed the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure the FIFA World Cup 2026 is televised in India, particularly on free-to-air platforms. The petition highlights the urgency of securing broadcast rights for this major sporting event, which is set to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. With no broadcaster yet confirmed in India, the petition emphasizes the need for public access to the tournament, citing India's significant audience for FIFA events. The situation is further complicated as FIFA has not secured a broadcaster in China either, raising concerns about access in two of the world's largest markets.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 12, 2026, 15:23 IST

Court Directs Government to Ensure Telecast of FIFA World Cup 2026

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court issued notices to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting along with Prasar Bharati regarding a petition aimed at securing the broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India, particularly on free-to-air channels. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has instructed the involved parties to submit their responses and has scheduled a follow-up hearing for next week. During the session, the Court noted that the requests made in the petition resembled those typical of a public interest litigation (PIL).

Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, representing the petitioner, informed the Court that the authorities were already taking steps in this direction and emphasized that judicial involvement could accelerate the process. The petition, filed by Advocate Avdhesh Bairwa, seeks directives to ensure that the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati airs the tournament.

The plea specifically calls for the broadcast of significant matches, including the opening match, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final, on free-to-air platforms. Additionally, the petitioner urged the Court to mandate the authorities to secure broadcasting rights for all 104 matches of the tournament.

Scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the petition, Bairwa highlighted that India is among FIFA’s largest global audiences, referencing around 745.7 million interactions during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

As per the petition, no broadcaster has yet acquired media rights for the tournament in India. It was noted that FIFA had lowered the valuation of India’s combined broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups from USD 100 million to USD 35 million due to a lack of market interest. The plea also mentioned that JioStar's bid of USD 20 million for the rights was turned down.

The petitioner argued that the lack of a broadcaster could prevent Indian viewers from accessing one of the most significant sporting events globally, infringing on citizens' right to receive information and major sports content. The urgency of the situation was underscored, given that the tournament is set to commence on June 11 next year.

No Broadcaster in China Either

FIFA has not yet finalized a broadcasting agreement in China, leaving the 2026 FIFA World Cup without a broadcaster in both of the world's most populous countries. Similar to India, China's national football team has not qualified for the event, while India has never participated, and China has only appeared once in 2002.

According to reports, 'China accounted for 17.7% and India 2.9% of the global linear TV reach of the 2022 tournament.' Additionally, 22.6% of the total digital global streaming reach originated from these neighboring nations. FIFA has announced that they have successfully secured broadcasting deals in 175 countries thus far.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Details

The tournament will be held from June 11 to July 19 across 16 venues in the three host countries (2 in Canada, 3 in Mexico, and 11 in the USA). The final match will take place at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, with all quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final hosted in the USA. The opening match is set to occur in Mexico City, featuring Mexico against South Africa.