World Cup fans in China and India face broadcast uncertainty

Millions of football fans in India and China face uncertainty over whether or not the World Cup will be shown in their countries as broadcasters have yet to reach deals with football's governing body, Fifa.

It is unusual for TV rights deals to not be agreed for an event of this scale with just weeks to go before it is due to start. Such agreements are typically settled months, if not years, before the opening ceremony.

Local media in both countries have said Fifa and broadcasters are still wrangling over the cost of showing the games.

Fifa told the the BBC that talks in China and India "are ongoing and must remain confidential at this stage", without commenting on the fees involved.

But a handful have yet to secure the rights to broadcast the 2026 World Cup, including India and China - which together account for around a third of the world's population.

Fifa has now lowered the price to between $120m and $150m, according to state-controlled newspaper Beijing Daily. But that is still more than double CCTV's budget for the event, the paper said.

Beijing Daily said that as China has not qualified for the tournament there would be less interest in the event amongst football fans in the country.

The paper also noted that the time difference between China and North America means that many high-profile games will be played in the early hours of the morning for Chinese fans.

Fifa announced in November 2017 that it had reached an exclusive agreement with CCTV to broadcast both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

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