China Standoff Ends: CCTV Closes World Cup Broadcast Deal Covering 2026 Through 2031
China Media Group, the parent of state broadcaster CCTV, has reached a four-tournament rights deal with FIFA: 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups plus 2027 and 2031 women's World Cups. The 2026 package alone reportedly costs 60 million dollars. Chinese fans will see the tournament across free-to-air, pay-TV and online platforms.
C hina Media Group (CMG), the parent of state broadcaster CCTV, has reached a multi-tournament broadcasting agreement with FIFA, ending a high-profile rights stand-off less than a month before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The package covers the 2026 and 2030 men's World Cups plus the Women's World Cups in 2027 and 2031, according to CCTV.
"The Chinese market is of very big importance to the global football community. We know the passion of Chinese football fans and we're very happy and proud of our partnership with CMG to bring the World Cup to all fans in China," FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said in a federation statement. CMG has secured exclusive media and sub-licensing rights in mainland China across free-to-air and paid TV as well as online and mobile platforms. Financial terms were not disclosed by CCTV; Chinese state-backed outlet The Paper reports the rights fee for the 2026 tournament alone at 60 million dollars.
China has the world's largest football fan base, with an estimated 200 million people following the game. The men's national team has reached only one World Cup, in 2002. The women's team has appeared at eight, finishing runners-up in 1999 after a penalty shootout loss to the United States. The CCTV announcement quickly topped Weibo's trending list, picking up more than 27 million views inside 45 minutes.
For previous World Cup cycles CCTV had locked in rights well in advance and rolled out promotional content and sponsor-led advertising weeks before kickoff. That long runway disappeared in 2026, as FIFA initially asked between 250 and 300 million dollars before stepping down toward CCTV's working budget of 60 to 80 million. Earlier this month FIFA said it had concluded broadcast agreements in more than 175 territories. Negotiations in India are still ongoing.
A source familiar with the matter said CCTV has asked China Mobile's streaming platform Migu to sign a distribution deal for the 2026 tournament. In 2018 CCTV first sublicensed World Cup streaming rights to Migu and Alibaba's Youku, the first time it shared live digital rights with online platforms. In 2022 CMG extended distribution rights to Migu, Douyin and several regional TV stations. Representatives of Migu could not immediately be reached for comment on the 2026 cycle.