Setanta Sports, a pay-TV broadcaster, has acquired the rights to broadcast all 104 games of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup men's national team tournament in Georgia. The network will provide live free-to-air coverage on its OTT platform for registered users. This is a significant increase from the 64 games aired during the 2022 edition.
The expanded tournament, featuring 48 teams, will take place across Mexico, Canada and the US from June 11 to July19. Unfortunately, Georgia's national team did not qualify for this edition.
Previously, coverage of the last two FIFA men's World Cups (2018 and 2022) was provided by Georgia's public-service broadcaster. Bacha Malazonia, executive director at Setanta Sports said: "Broadcasting a tournament of this scale is not only a tremendous responsibility for us but also a remarkable opportunity."
FIFA face challenges securing broadcast partners in Asia
While Setanta takes over broadcasting rights in Georgia, FIFA continues to struggle with securing broadcast partners for the World Cup across various Asian markets due to time zone differences with most games taking place early morning.
The Indian market poses significant concern as it remains one of the last major territories where no deal has been agreed upon yet with less than three weeks before kickoff. Media heavyweights JioStar and Zee are currently contesting for these rights.
FIFA initially aimed at generating $100 million from India (for both the 2026 and 2030 tournaments), but may now have to settle for less than $35 million due to valuation disagreements with potential broadcasters like JioStar.
Other Asian markets facing similar issues
Bangladesh and Thailand are other notable markets where issues persist around selling World Cup rights. In Bangladesh, Singapore-based Springbok had to surrender the rights after failing to meet payment deadlines and not being able to sell them quickly enough. Now, a combination of Bangladeshi networks T Sports and Star News, along with a Dubai-based company, are reportedly in contention for a last-minute deal directly from FIFA.
In Thailand, there is an ongoing impasse over World Cup rights allocation. The Thai government has ruled out using public funds or the state budget to buy these rights. This situation is further complicated by the country's regulation that requires free-to-air access for such sporting events.
While Setanta Sports' acquisition of broadcasting rights in Georgia marks a positive step for FIFA's distribution strategy, challenges persist across various Asian markets due to time zone differences and financial disagreements. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, it remains crucial for FIFA to secure deals that ensure maximum coverage while also generating substantial revenue.
