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FIFA is facing an unusual situation ahead of the World Cup, having yet to secure television deals to broadcast the tournament in China and India, risking more than a third of the global population not having access to the world's biggest football competition.
FIFA has reportedly asked for around £74 million for the Indian TV rights, a figure that represents a 67 percent increase compared to the Qatar 2022 World Cup. However, the highest bid submitted so far by the Reliance-Disney group was less than £15 million, and negotiations have yet to produce a concrete agreement.
Meanwhile, no broadcast partner has been announced in China, even though the tournament kicks off in five weeks, on June 11, in Mexico City. In previous World Cups, matches have been broadcast by state-run network CCTV, which has a large audience in mainland China.
China and India together represent over 2.8 billion people, out of a global population of around 8.2 billion. Although these countries are not considered television markets with the same economic power as Europe, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, aim to expand football's global influence.
In India, one of the main obstacles is the time difference. Most matches taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico are expected to be broadcast during the night hours according to local Indian time. Moreover, football continues to be overshadowed by the popularity of cricket, while the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled just 11 days before the start of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, in China, interest in football remains high, with an estimated 200 million fans, but the crisis and decline of the Chinese Super League have negatively affected the willingness of television broadcasters to invest large sums in broadcasting rights.
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