FIFA finally seals World Cup broadcast deal in China at just $60M

GENEVA: (May 16) FIFA finally sealed a World Cup broadcast rights deal for China on Friday, just 27 days before the opening game and at a much lower reported price than the soccer body wanted.

The overall agreement with China Media Group covered the next four World Cups — two each of the men’s and women’s — through 2031, FIFA said in a statement. It includes the 48-team, 104-game men’s tournament in North America starting on June 11 that China did not qualify for.

Chinese state-affiliated media reported on Friday the 2026 World Cup rights were valued at $60 million.