Relief for Bangladesh as WC broadcast deal nears completion

A consortium comprising BTV, T Sports and Star News is set to acquire the broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, officials confirmed on Tuesday, ending fears of a potential blackout of the tournament in Bangladesh.

The agreement, which is expected to be finalised within the next two days, comes just a week before the World Cup kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Although officials from the broadcasters declined to disclose the cost of the deal, it has been learnt that the rights are set to be secured for between USD 3 million and USD 4 million (approx. Tk 36-49 crore).

It is also understood that state-owned BTV will first obtain the rights from FIFA before sharing them with the two private channels, allowing all three broadcasters to air the matches live across the country. In addition, a digital streaming platform will provide live online coverage of the tournament.

“We are trying to telecast the World Cup in the country without spending a single taka of public money. There are many stakeholders involved. We are trying to negotiate with everyone,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon told The Daily Star on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a broadcast official familiar with the development said the parties were close to finalising the agreement and were working to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome.

“In two days, the deal is expected to be finalised. It is almost done,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

However, the official admitted that the broadcasters were under pressure due to the limited time available for commercial preparations.

“If the deal had been concluded two months ago, it would have been ideal for everyone. Now we are having to make last-minute preparations. The cost has been minimised, but our marketing window is very short,” he added.

Earlier in March, Singapore-based Springbok Pte Ltd acquired Bangladesh’s media rights package from FIFA for USD 7.211 million (approx. Tk 88 crore). The package included television, radio, mobile and internet broadcasting rights.

When approached by BTV, however, the company reportedly demanded USD 12.30 million (approx. Tk 151 crore), excluding applicable taxes, advance income tax and VAT. Factoring in taxes and VAT, the total cost would have approached Tk 200 crore. Springbok also sought significantly higher satellite rights fees than in previous editions.

The high asking price became a major obstacle for local broadcasters, particularly given the tournament’s match timings in Bangladesh.

Initially, T Sports, Star News and an event management company expressed interest in broadcasting the tournament at a substantially lower price, but Springbok was unwilling to reduce its demands.

As a result, Bangladeshi broadcasters remained reluctant to commit to a deal. However, Springbok eventually surrendered the rights last month after failing to sell them, paving the way for local broadcasters to negotiate directly with FIFA at a significantly lower cost.

Following lengthy negotiations, an agreement is now expected to be finalised, bringing huge relief to millions of football fans in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh was not the only country facing uncertainty over World Cup coverage. Millions of football fans in India and China also faced concerns over access to the tournament due to unresolved broadcast rights negotiations, although those issues were resolved in recent weeks.

FIFA has since confirmed a broadcast agreement with China Media Group (CMG) covering the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups.

The world governing body has also reached an agreement with Zee Entertainment to broadcast the 2026 World Cup in India. The deal, announced on Monday, covers 39 FIFA events over an eight-year period through to 2034, including the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, according to a joint statement issued by FIFA and Zee.