The global soccer governing body, FIFA, has taken its media rights sales processes for the next two World Cups to Myanmar. This move comes as part of a broader strategy to expand the reach and accessibility of these prestigious tournaments.
Two tenders have recently gone live in the Southeast Asian market. The first tender is for the men's 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place across Mexico, the US, and Canada from June 11 to July 19. The second tender covers the women's 2027 FIFA World Cup set to be staged in Brazil - marking it as the first time that this tournament will be held in South America.
Interested entities can request invitation-to-tender (ITT) documents by contacting fwc26-media-rights@fifa.org for men’s rights and fwwc2027-media-rights@fifa.org for women’s rights respectively. The submission deadline for bids covering both sets of rights is slated at 10 AM Central European Time on October 14. This gives interested parties ample time to prepare their proposals and submit them accordingly.
Previous broadcasts in Myanmar
In terms of previous broadcasts, pay-TV satellite broadcaster SkyNet showcased the last men's World Cup which took place in Qatar in 2022 within Myanmar. However, it should be noted that despite being an active participant in qualifiers over many years, Myanmar has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup - neither men's nor women's edition.
This process follows a similar one launched earlier this year covering India and its neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka. These tenders also covered both upcoming world cups along with an additional one –the Men’s tournament in 2030. The bidding deadline for these tenders was September 2.
FIFA's decision to extend its media rights sales processes to Myanmar is a significant step towards increasing the global visibility of the World Cup tournaments. It provides an opportunity for broadcasters in Southeast Asia to secure broadcasting rights, thereby bringing these international soccer events closer to fans in this region. This move also aligns with FIFA's broader strategy of promoting and expanding the reach of football worldwide.
