Sports
Prasar Bharati enters race for FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast rights
With JioStar and Sony sitting on their hands, India’s public broadcaster may be the only bidder left standing for the world’s biggest football tournament
NEW DELHI: For a global sporting event of this scale, the silence from India’s private broadcasters has been deafening. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup months away, no Indian broadcaster has secured rights to the tournament and the ones with the deepest pockets are in no hurry to change that.
FIFA, accustomed to competitive bidding for its marquee property, finds itself in the unfamiliar position of chasing buyers in India. It had initially set an eye-watering asking price for a bundled package covering the 2026 and 2030 tournaments. When that failed to move the market, the price was cut significantly. Even then, JioStar and Sony, the two broadcasters who have historically written big cheques for big events, have not bitten.
The reasons are not hard to find. Cricket still commands India’s advertising rupees with a grip that football cannot match. Worse, the 2026 edition is hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, which means most matches will kick off late at night or in the early hours for Indian viewers, precisely the slots that make advertisers nervous and audiences thin.
Into this vacuum steps Prasar Bharati. The public broadcaster operates on a different calculus entirely: accessibility over profit, reach over returns. If it secures the rights, Indian football fans could watch the tournament on free-to-air television without paying a paisa. For FIFA, it would mean a deal. For Doordarshan, it would mean relevance.
The irony is rich. A tournament that private broadcasters once jostled to air may end up on the same government-owned channel that has been carrying state funerals and budget speeches for decades. FIFA wanted a bidding war; it got a waiting room. If Prasar Bharati ends up as the last man standing, both sides will have to pretend that was the plan all along.
Sports
Sony Sports Network to broadcast 10 India cricket series
‘Goonjega India’ campaign brings non-stop Team India action from May 28 to Diwali across TV and Sony LIV.
MUMBAI: Sony Sports Network has just hit a massive six, it’s set to make Indian cricket goonjega louder than ever this season. Under its new campaign ‘Goonjega India’, the network will broadcast an unprecedented 10 major India series from 28 May 2026 right through to Diwali. Nine of them will also stream live on Sony LIV, giving fans wall-to-wall cricket across formats and borders.
The blockbuster calendar kicks off with the India Women’s Tour of England (3 T20Is and 1 Test in May-July), followed by the highly anticipated India Tour of England (5 T20Is and 3 ODIs in July exclusive to Sony Sports Network). The action rolls on with the India Tour of Sri Lanka in August, the India Tour of New Zealand in October-November, and both men’s and women’s T20 competitions at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (17 September to 3 October). Rounding off the line-up are four key ACC events: the Women’s Asia Cup 2026, Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026, U19 Men’s Asia Cup 2026 and U19 Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
Sony Pictures Networks India chief revenue officer and business head of sports and international Rajesh Kaul said, “Cricket remains the biggest force in India’s sporting culture, and with Goonjega India, we are bringing fans an extraordinary run of Team India action from May 28 to Diwali. From the Women in Blue’s England tour to the men’s marquee clashes in England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, alongside the Asian Games and major ACC tournaments, this is one of the most compelling cricket line-ups on Indian television.”
To build excitement, Sony Sports Network has released three high-energy animated films that celebrate the scale, emotion and rivalry of the season from the opening roar on 28 May to the Diwali blockbuster in New Zealand.
From the first ball in England to the final fireworks before Diwali, Indian cricket is about to echo across living rooms like never before. Whether you’re cheering for the Women in Blue, the Men in Blue or the rising U19 stars, Sony Sports Network has made sure there’s barely a day without a reason to shout “India! India!” This season, the calendar isn’t just packed, it’s perfectly pitched.
