Bangladeshi broadcasters risk FIFA World Cup blackout

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin in just 33 days, but there is a strong possibility that Bangladeshi viewers may face a World Cup blackout, as no broadcaster in the country has secured telecast rights for the global showpiece event as of yesterday.

Whopping asking price for broadcast, limited commercial inventory, and inconvenient match timings are the reasons behind Bangladeshi broadcasters not showing interest in telecasting the greatest football show on earth.

Four years ago, state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) had secured terrestrial broadcasting rights while satellite channels, T Sports and GTV, secured satellite rights. These TV channels aired all 64 matches live, while Toffee held the digital streaming rights.

This year, however, no broadcaster has acquired the rights because of the massive price being demanded by Springbok Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based company that secured media rights for Bangladesh.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan told The Daily Star that the government is not interested in purchasing the rights, given the current financial situation and allegations of corruption surrounding the previous deal.

“It seems that not even one-tenth of the money spent on the purchase last time was recovered,” Swapan said yesterday.

“Given the government’s current financial situation, this is a significant factor. It would have been good for the viewers if it were on the government channel, but considering our financial situation, we are not thinking about this right now. However, if anyone shows interest privately, the government may show interest based on mutual benefits.”

Springbok’s package deal, acquired from FIFA, includes television, radio, mobile, and internet rights.

According to documents seen by The Daily Star, the company is demanding USD 12.30 million (around Tk 150.98 crore), excluding applicable taxes, advance income tax and VAT, from BTV.

The documents state that 50 percent of the amount must be paid by May 10, with the remaining due by June 10. The package includes live coverage and highlights of all 104 matches, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

According to insiders, T Sports, Star News and an event management company had shown interest in broadcasting the tournament at a significantly lower price, but Springbok has so far refused to reduce its asking price. Which means the cost could climb to nearly Tk 200 crore after taxes and VAT for a tournament, which, as per the schedule, will see 52 matches finish before 4:00am Bangladesh time, while the remaining 52 will begin after 4:00am.

What happened with BTV?

Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, BTV spent Tk 98 crore to secure terrestrial broadcasting rights for all matches following a late government move. T Sports and GTV separately acquired satellite rights.

In contrast, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, BTV received the live feed free of cost from rights holders and reportedly earned around Tk 1.5 crore in advertising revenue.

A top BTV official requesting anonymity said no final decision has yet been made regarding this year’s tournament.

According to the official, Springbok contacted Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which later forwarded the matter to BTV.

The channel then approached Springbok last month to learn about pricing. Later, they also contacted FIFA in hopes of obtaining a free feed, but have not received any response so far.

The official said that neither BTV nor the Bangladesh government participated in FIFA’s tender process announced on September 9 last year, and if they did, they might have gotten it for a lower amount.

Private broadcasters struggling with pricing

Officials from private satellite channels said they had been in active discussions with Springbok earlier, but talks stalled because of the rigidity on asking price.

Broadcasters believe the current pricing is unsustainable for Bangladesh’s market size, especially if BTV does not share the burden. They stressed that they are seeking a collaborative approach rather than a sub-licensing arrangement.

According to them, FIFA likely based Bangladesh’s valuation on the widely reported Tk 98 crore deal involving BTV in 2022, and as the number of matches increased to 104 this year, the price has nearly doubled.

Similar problems in India and China

Bangladesh, however, is not alone in facing a broadcast blackout. Millions of football fans in India and China could also miss the tournament because of unresolved broadcast rights negotiations.

According to Reuters, a Reliance-Disney joint venture offered around USD 20 million for Indian broadcast rights, well below FIFA’s asking price, while Sony also declined to submit an offer.

No official broadcaster has yet been announced for China either, despite the country accounting for nearly half of all global digital and social viewing hours during the 2022 World Cup.

The 2026 tournament begins on June 11, leaving little time for broadcasters to finalise agreements, establish infrastructure and sell advertising inventory.

** Baharam Khan and Anisur Rahman also contributed to this report