BEIJING : China Media Group (CMG), the parent company of state broadcaster CCTV, has secured broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup, local media reported on Friday, less than a month before the tournament begins.
The Yangtse Evening Post, a newspaper based in Nanjing, reported that a deal had been reached but did not specify whether it covered the 2026 World Cup alone or also included the 2030 edition. Financial details were not disclosed.
For previous tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar, CCTV had obtained broadcasting rights well ahead of kickoff and launched extensive promotional and advertising campaigns in the build-up to the competition.
CCTV, which broadcasts across television and digital platforms nationwide, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
FIFA said earlier this month that it had completed broadcast agreements in more than 175 territories globally, while negotiations in China and India were still ongoing.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom visited Beijing this week and met Chinese Football Association president Song Kai, fuelling speculation that talks between FIFA and CMG were close to completion.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that CCTV had approached China Mobile’s streaming platform Migu regarding a distribution agreement for the 2026 World Cup. The source did not know the value or terms of the deal between CCTV and FIFA.
In 2018, CCTV sublicensed World Cup streaming rights to platforms including China Mobile‘s Migu and Alibaba Group-owned Youku, marking the first time it shared live digital rights with online platforms. For the 2022 tournament in Qatar, CMG expanded distribution to Migu, Douyin and several regional television stations.
