Why FIFA endured a $240 million loss on China broadcast deal ahead of 2026 World Cup
FIFA reportedly took a major hit on its China broadcast deal just weeks before the 2026 World Cup. The issue was not whether the tournament mattered in China.
Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images FIFA reportedly took a major hit on its China broadcast deal just weeks before the 2026 World Cup. The issue was not whether the tournament mattered in China. It was whether FIFA had enough leverage to get anything close to its original asking price.
In the end, the reported gap between what FIFA wanted and what it accepted showed how difficult the Chinese rights market had become. Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images FIFA’s China World Cup deal lands far below asking price As Polymarket Sport noted, FIFA reportedly settled for a far smaller China broadcast deal than it initially wanted. “FIFA has settled on a broadcasting deal with China for $60M just 27 days out from the tournament.
FIFA originally wanted $300M for the deal,” it was reported. That would put the shortfall at roughly $240 million from FIFA’s reported target. China Media Group, the parent company of CCTV, secured the rights after long negotiations.
The deal ensured the World Cup would be shown in China and avoided the embarrassment of a major market blackout so close to kickoff. But the timing also made FIFA’s weakened position obvious. With less than a month left, walking away from the Chinese market was not realistic.