China has successfully averted a potential blackout of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in its market, thanks to a multi-year agreement between public-service broadcaster CCTV and FIFA, the global soccer governing body.
Under this new deal, CCTV, which is part of state-owned China Media Group (CMG), will broadcast both the men's and women's editions of the next two FIFA World Cups. This includes coverage for 2026 and 2030 men’s tournaments as well as for 2027 and 2031 women’s tournaments. The exclusive agreement encompasses every match from each tournament. There are indications that Migu, a popular streaming service that covered last year's FIFA Club World Cup, may strike a distribution deal with CCTV to extend the tournament’s reach within China.
Key features of this agreement include coverage includes linear and digital streaming rights, ability to sub-license these rights, and exclusive coverage strictly for mainland China excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Financial implications
FIFA had initially sought a nine-figure fee for broadcasting rights to just the 2026 World Cup. This high asking price was one reason negotiations stalled. However, under this new arrangement CMG will reportedly pay only $60 million for broadcasting rights to the entire tournament. The upcoming 2026 World Cup is set to take place from June 11 through July19 across Mexico, US and Canada. It will be unique in featuring an expanded roster of teams - up from previous years' count - leading FIFA to increase their asking prices due to more games being played.
Despite not qualifying since their last appearance at men's world cup in Korea-Japan in 2002 or having any prospects for participation in future editions till at least after Qatar edition in late November through mid-December 2022, the Chinese national team has had more success in the women's tournament. They have qualified for each of the last three editions and are already set to compete in 2027. However, with no tournaments scheduled to take place on the continent for some time, media rights values for women’s soccer across Asia remain low. This means FIFA will likely fall short of its target value for the CCTV agreement.
For CMG, this deal is a significant addition to its growing list of sports coverage. The media group already broadcasts a range of high-profile events including WTA Finals and Australian Open tennis tournaments, all editions of Olympic Games between 2026 and 2032, Formula 1 motor racing and NBA basketball games. With this agreement in place, India remains as one of few major markets without a broadcast partner for World Cup 2026. FIFA has yet to secure a partnership with any major Indian media enterprise.
