(ECNS) -- After months of negotiations, FIFA and China Media Group (CMG) have reportedly reached an agreement on broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the final deal said to be significantly lower than FIFA's initial asking price.

With less than 30 days left before the tournament begins, uncertainty surrounding whether the 2026 World Cup would be broadcast in the Chinese mainland has finally been resolved. The lengthy negotiations were driven largely by disagreements over copyright fees and changing demand in China's sports media market.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy. (Photo provided to China News Service)

Analysts say FIFA ultimately softened its stance because it still values the Chinese market, which remains one of the world's largest football audiences.

According to FIFA, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, China accounted for 49.8% of all digital and social media viewing hours globally.

Chinese companies were also among the tournament's biggest sponsors. According to London-based data analytics firm GlobalData, Chinese sponsors contributed about $1.395 billion during the 2022 World Cup, surpassing the $1.1 billion spent by U.S. companies.

Industry observers noted that if CMG had failed to secure the broadcasting rights, Chinese sponsors would have suffered major losses in brand exposure and marketing opportunities, potentially affecting future cooperation with FIFA.

Li Jing, associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication of Beijing Sport University, said the prolonged negotiations reflected changing dynamics in China's football media market.

According to Li, demand for football content in China has not declined overall, but audience preferences have become more diversified and cost-conscious. In recent years, domestic football competitions and grassroots regional leagues have attracted growing public attention, competing with international tournaments for viewership.

FIFA appeared overly optimistic about the Chinese market, mistakenly equating China's large population with a willingness to pay for expensive sports content, Li said.

Li said FIFA may have overestimated broadcasters' willingness to pay increasingly high fees for international football rights in China's evolving sports media environment.

He added that while FIFA sought to maximize the commercial value of its premier football properties, excessively high pricing could risk weakening long-term cooperation with broadcasters and sponsors in key markets.

The conclusion of the negotiations marks the end of a high-stakes commercial battle involving hundreds of millions of football fans, sponsors and sports industry stakeholders. CMG held firm on its pricing bottom line and refused to overpay, while FIFA also needed access to China's enormous viewing market to satisfy global sponsors. In the end, both sides chose a compromise.

(By Gong Weiwei)