The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and Prasar Bharti to state their position on a petition seeking free-to-air broadcast of key FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, including the opening game on June 11, the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, on public broadcaster Prasar Bharti channels.

The petition, filed by lawyer Avdhesh Bairwa, requests interim directions for telecast of these headline fixtures, and as a final relief, asks that all 104 matches be made available through Prasar Bharti. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice on the plea and fixed the next hearing for May 20.

Public interest plea on FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast

During the brief hearing, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav remarked, “Issue notice. Let him (respondent lawyer) take instructions. Let the matter be called out next week,” while also asking why the case should not be treated as a public interest litigation, given that it concerns access for a large number of viewers across India.

Counsel for Avdhesh Bairwa argued that every citizen has a right to watch such major sporting events, framing the case as an extension of the right to receive information. The lawyer accepted that this right is not absolute, but said a judicial “nudge” would “go a long way” in prompting the authorities to act.

Legal arguments over FIFA World Cup 2026 telecast rights

The petition notes that the FIFA World Cup, held every four years, is among the most watched sporting tournaments worldwide, and points out that Indian audiences have consistently had a commercial broadcaster for every edition since 1998. An earlier report titled “FIFA World Cup 2026 not available for viewers in India yet – What’s going wrong?” is also cited.

According to the plea, no network has acquired Indian broadcasting rights for FIFA World Cup 2026 so far. The petitioner claims this gap denies access to the telecast and infringes the fundamental right to receive information. The event will run from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Highlighting urgency, the petition states: “The matter is one of utmost urgency as the FIFA World Cup 2026 commences on 11.06.2026 and the Opening Match, which is itself an event of national importance under the (Centre’s) Notification dated 09.05.2022, is scheduled on that date. That without timely judicial intervention by this Hon’ble Court, the Petitioner and millions of Indian citizens will be irreparably deprived of their fundamental rights with no adequate alternative remedy,” the petition said.

The plea further alleges constitutional violations, saying, “The inaction of the Respondents has resulted into the violation of the Petitioner’s freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution by restraining the exhibition/telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026.”

It adds, “It is important to note that by denying access to the information in question or by not taking necessary steps to broadcast the FIFA World Cup, the Respondents have directly infringed the Petitioner’s fundamental right to acquire and receive information, which is an integral part of freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution,” it added.

With FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching, the High Court will now consider whether the Centre must secure at least partial telecast rights for Prasar Bharti. The outcome of the May 20 hearing will decide if Indian viewers can watch the tournament on public broadcast without relying on any commercial broadcaster.