Uncertainty over watching World Cup leaves Bangladeshi fans worried

State-owned Bangladesh Television has yet to secure broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, raising concerns among football fans across the country. No private television channel or OTT platform has purchased the rights either . The tournament, featuring 48 teams for the first time, will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 .

Singapore-based Springbok Pte Ltd holds the broadcasting rights for Bangladesh and has quoted approximately Tk 151 crore for the rights package, with the total estimated cost including taxes reaching around Tk 200 crore . Under the proposed terms, half the payment was required by May 10, which has already passed, with the remainder due by June 10 . The package includes live coverage of 104 matches, along with the opening and closing ceremonies .

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, BTV secured rights and broadcast matches, but the channel suffered significant financial losses from that deal . A senior BTV official told Dhaka Tribune that the channel's annual budget is only Tk 3 crore, making it very difficult to justify spending such a high amount .

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised BTV to contact FIFA directly to explore possible free-to-air options. BTV sent two emails to FIFA in late April but has not received any response .

FIFA has finalised broadcast deals in more than 175 territories, but Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar were also initially without confirmed coverage . A late agreement in Bangladesh eventually secured coverage for approximately 200 million people . However, unless a local broadcaster finalises a deal soon, Bangladeshi fans may miss the tournament.