The price isn’t right — Asia balks as FIFA World Cup TV deals stall

With less than a month to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America, FIFA is facing an unexpected broadcast-rights problem that could leave billions of fans, including viewers in Thailand, uncertain over how they will watch the tournament.

The tournament will be the biggest World Cup yet, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and doubling the number of matches from 52 to 104. It will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, giving FIFA more games to sell and more inventory for broadcasters and sponsors.

FIFA’s strategy is clear: a larger tournament should bring larger audiences and higher broadcast revenue.

FIFA is targeting revenue of around US$8.9 billion, or about 288 billion baht, this year, with broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup expected to generate about US$3.9 billion, or roughly 126 billion baht. That would be about one-third higher than the broadcast-rights revenue from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But the push for higher rights fees has run into resistance in Asia. China and India, two of the markets FIFA had hoped would help drive global viewership, failed to qualify for the tournament. Together, they represent around 2.7 billion people, making their absence a major commercial complication.

Negotiations in both markets have reportedly stalled. In India, the original asking price was said to be around US$100 million, while China’s price was estimated at US$250-300 million. Even after reported reductions, the figures remain difficult for broadcasters to justify, particularly as local audience demand is weaker without national-team participation.

In India, a reported offer of around US$20 million from JioStar remains far below FIFA’s reduced target of about US$35 million. In China, talks with CCTV have also yet to produce an agreement, even though FIFA has reportedly lowered its asking price significantly.

Thailand is facing a similar uncertainty. Broadcast-rights talks are still unresolved, despite efforts by the government to coordinate private-sector support. The main sticking point remains the rights fee, which potential operators see as too high compared with market reality.

The issue is not only price. Time zones are another major problem for Asian broadcasters. Because the 2026 tournament will be held in North America, many matches will air after midnight in India and in the early morning in China, Thailand and other Asian markets. That makes advertising returns harder to guarantee, even for football-mad audiences.

China remains one of FIFA’s most valuable viewing markets. Reuters says 550 million people in China watched the 2022 World Cup, accounting for 17.7% of global viewers, while Chinese digital and social-media engagement made up 49.8% of the global total. Yet CCTV’s available budget for the 2026 rights is reportedly only US$60-80 million, far below FIFA’s earlier expectations.

There is still room for a late deal. FIFA officials have reportedly travelled to Beijing for talks, with a possible agreement for China estimated at around US$120-150 million. A breakthrough in India is also expected within two weeks.

For Thailand, talks are continuing with at least one major operator said to be seriously interested. However, the deal depends on whether FIFA is willing to lower the fee. If the price comes down, negotiations could move quickly, with the government ready to support and coordinate efforts.

The Thai context is especially sensitive because the Cabinet has already assigned the Public Relations Department to coordinate with the NBTC and relevant agencies on World Cup broadcast plans, although no budget has yet been approved. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government would “try its best” and added that broadcasts “should be free”.

The regulatory backdrop has also changed. Thailand’s revised NBTC rule has removed the FIFA World Cup from the Must Have list, meaning the tournament no longer has to be shown on free-to-air television. If no free-TV operator secures the rights, there is now a possibility that the tournament may not be available to the general public in the same way as previous editions.

Thailand has faced similar uncertainty before. For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the country secured broadcast rights for US$33 million, or about 1.4 billion baht, only shortly before the tournament began. The late deal was followed by disputes over broadcast distribution, underlining how complicated World Cup rights negotiations can become when public funding, private sponsorship and platform rights overlap.

The bigger question is whether public money should continue to be used to secure a month-long football tournament, especially when the same funds could support domestic sports development, youth programmes and professional leagues. But politically and culturally, the World Cup remains a major national viewing event and Thai fans are still waiting to see whether this year’s tournament will again be free to watch.