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Delhi HC Seeks Govt Reply on Plea for Free FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast in India

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Centre and Prasar Bharati on a plea seeking free broadcast of FIFA World Cup 2026. The petition, filed by advocate Avdhesh Bairwa, argues that no broadcaster has acquired media rights for the tournament in India. FIFA reduced the rights value from $100 million to $35 million due to lack of interest. The plea claims failure to broadcast would violate constitutional rights and cites the World Cup's notification as a "sporting event of national importance."

Key Points: Delhi HC Notice on Free FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcast

  • Delhi HC issues notice on plea for free FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast
  • No broadcaster has acquired India media rights yet
  • FIFA reduced rights value from $100M to $35M due to lack of interest
  • Plea cites notification of World Cup as "sporting event of national importance"
2 min read

Delhi HC issues notice on plea seeking free broadcast of FIFA World Cup 2026 in India

Delhi High Court issues notice to Centre and Prasar Bharati on a plea seeking free-to-air broadcast of FIFA World Cup 2026 via Doordarshan and DD Sports.

"Failure to broadcast the tournament would violate citizens' rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution - Avdhesh Bairwa"

New Delhi, May 12

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Centre and Prasar Bharati on a petition seeking directions to ensure that the FIFA World Cup 2026 is broadcast in India, especially through free-to-air public platforms such as Doordarshan and DD Sports.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice to the respondents while hearing the writ petition filed by advocate Avdhesh Bairwa under Article 226 of the Constitution.

The petition states that despite the FIFA World Cup 2026 being scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026, no broadcaster in India has acquired the media rights for the tournament so far.

It argues that this may deprive millions of football fans across the country from watching one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

According to the plea, FIFA had initially valued the India broadcasting rights package for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at around USD 100 million. However, due to lack of interest from broadcasters, the value was later reduced to nearly USD 35 million. The petition claims that even after the reduction, no final agreement has been reached.

The plea says the FIFA World Cup has already been notified as a "sporting event of national importance" under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007. It argues that once such a notification has been issued, the government and Prasar Bharati are under an obligation to ensure that the event is made available to the public.

The petition also highlights India's large football audience and refers to FIFA data showing that India was among the top global engagement markets during the FIFA World Cup 2022. It further states that Prasar Bharati has the infrastructure to broadcast the tournament through DD Sports, DD Free Dish and its WAVES OTT platform.

The petitioner has argued that failure to broadcast the tournament would violate citizens' rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution, including the right to receive information through television and public broadcasting platforms.

Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar appeared for the petitioner along with advocates Ankit Konwar, Avdhesh Bairwa, Subhashni Kumari, Prateek Singh, Nishi Rathore, Nishi Kashyap, Abhishek Nair, Akash Kumar and Arpit Pandey.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical. If no private broadcaster wants to pay even $35 million for rights, there must be a reason. Maybe the audience isn't as big as the petition claims, or maybe the ad revenue just doesn't justify the cost. That said, if it's already declared a "sporting event of national importance," the government should step in. But let's also remember that public money is at stake here.
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Ananya R
Wait, FIFA reduced the price from $100 million to $35 million and still no takers? That's crazy! I remember how packed local clubs were during the 2018 World Cup, and in 2022 everyone was glued to their phones. If Doordarshan picks this up, it could be huge for grassroots football. My younger brother in a tier-2 city would finally get to watch quality matches without buffering issues on illegal streams.
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Rahul R
Article 21 and right to information arguments sound a bit stretched here. Watching football is a luxury, not a fundamental right. But I support the idea of free-to-air broadcast because it promotes sports culture. Also, DD Sports is already showing Pro Kabaddi and some ISL matches for free. Why not add the World Cup? Let's be practical—if it helps grow football in India, it's worth the effort.
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Kavya N
I'm a huge football fan and I really hope this goes through. But I worry about the quality—DD Sports often has technical issues and very basic commentary. If they do get the rights, they need to invest in proper production. Also, the WAVES OTT platform is not very reliable; I've tried it during Olympics and it kept crashing. Still, beggars can't be choosers. Free access > nothing.

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