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In 1978, China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast the 11th World Cup in Argentina, marking the first time many Chinese fans witnessed global football frenzy on black-and-white television sets.
“On the stands of the River Plate Stadium, paper scraps fell like snowflakes. I instantly felt how extraordinary football was,” renowned commentator Huang Jianxiang recalled of that scorching summer.
Since then, CCTV has broadcast 12 consecutive World Cups. For countless Chinese fans, the quadrennial tournament is not just a premier football event but an irreplaceable memory of youth.
However, due to FIFA’s “exorbitant demands” and “discriminatory pricing,” negotiations for World Cup broadcasting rights in mainland China have reached a standstill. If the impasse continues, fans in mainland China may be unable to watch this year’s World Cup on television.
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On December 21, 2025, the FIFA World Cup trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, made its debut at the Olympic Sailing Center in Qingdao, Shandong, opening for free public viewing. Pictured: Tourists taking photos with the trophy. (Photo by China News Service/Wang Yu)
FIFA issued a statement on May 4, claiming it had reached agreements with broadcasters in over 175 regions worldwide, but negotiations for broadcasting rights in mainland China and India were still ongoing.
Reuters noted that it is rare for mainland China to have yet to finalize a broadcasting agreement just over a month before the tournament begins.
In the past, if CCTV failed to secure broadcasting rights for major events, public opinion often erupted in complaints. But this time, the sentiment online is starkly different.
On several social media platforms, the overwhelming majority of netizens have surprisingly rallied behind CCTV.
“FIFA might be panicking now,” a topic topped Weibo’s trending list.
According to a May 3 report from South Korean media outlet Xports News, FIFA’s asking price for broadcasting rights in mainland China is approximately $250 million to $300 million—nearly double the cost for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. CCTV refuses to accept this price, leading to a deadlock.
More disheartening than the “sky-high broadcasting fee” is FIFA’s “discriminatory” pricing strategy.
The Beijing News reported that FIFA offered India a package price of just $35 million for two World Cups, while China’s opening bid was 17 times higher, at $350 million.
Same ball, same tournament—why should China pay so much more?
According to reports, FIFA’s broadcasting rights pricing adjusts based on population size, market potential, economic development, and whether a team from the region qualifies for the tournament.
FIFA’s goal is to sell the broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for $10 billion.
Globally, the fee FIFA demands from CCTV is not the highest. The Commercial Times revealed that Fox Television in the U.S. paid about $300 million for the English-language broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup, while NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language network Telemundo paid at least $350 million.
However, as Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao reported, football remains a niche sport in India, with commercial value far below that of cricket. Coupled with the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the advertising market’s growth slowdown further reduces revenue expectations.
Yet, despite these factors, the stark disparity remains difficult for many Chinese to accept.
“We can’t be the fool paying the bill!” one netizen wrote, earning tens of thousands of likes. This sentiment reflects a widespread feeling—the issue isn’t whether Chinese fans love the World Cup or whether CCTV can afford the “sky-high fee,” but whether the money is worth spending.
From a competitive standpoint, the expansion of the 2026 World Cup may significantly reduce the suspense and entertainment value of the matches.
Even with “sky-high tickets” priced at $200,000 each, they cannot mask the tournament’s cooling reception.
A recent survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association across 11 host cities found that nearly 80% of respondents reported hotel bookings during the World Cup being “lower than initial expectations.” In Kansas City, bookings were even below normal levels for June and July of previous years.
U.S. media reported that many surveyed described the event as “practically non-existent.”
The 2026 World Cup will be held across three American countries, with 70% of matches scheduled between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Beijing time—no prime-time slots, only late-night and early-morning viewing.
The time difference significantly reduces the advertising value of the World Cup in China.
On another note, the Chinese men’s national team has missed the World Cup finals for six consecutive tournaments. With the booming development of community leagues like the Super League, Sichuan Super League, and Village Super League, a richer “sports menu” is diverting Chinese attention.
Industry insiders predict that the core audience for the 2026 World Cup may shrink to around 30 million, a clear drop from the nationwide frenzy seen in 2018.
Most importantly, it is not China that needs the World Cup, but the World Cup that needs China more.
During the Qatar World Cup, Chinese sponsors contributed $1.395 billion, ranking first globally and surpassing U.S. giants like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and PepsiCo.
For the current World Cup, Chinese corporate sponsorship is expected to remain among the top. China is also the world’s second-largest consumer market.
If Chinese fans are absent from viewing, not only will the interests of Chinese sponsors be compromised, but the investments of foreign sponsors will also be significantly impacted.
According to FIFA data, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, China accounted for 49.8% of global digital and social media viewing time and 17.7% of global traditional linear television coverage—far surpassing football powerhouses like Brazil, Argentina, and Germany.
Losing CCTV’s broadcast means FIFA loses its single largest fan market globally.
Sports Industry Independent Review pointed out that the real crux of the stalemate in World Cup broadcasting rights negotiations is far more complex than simply failing to agree on price. It reflects the increasingly awkward reality of traditional cable television networks and the significant gap in perception between rights holders and media platforms. If FIFA fails to understand that it is not in a position of absolute authority, its arrogance will inevitably come at a painful cost.
According to the Five Star Sports report, a “secretary-level senior executive” from FIFA plans to visit China in the near future, potentially opening a new chapter for World Cup broadcasting
