Yasser–Tabith ‘masterstroke’ ends fear of Bangladesh blackout for FIFA World Cup

A potential blackout of the 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast in Bangladesh has been averted, bringing relief to millions of football fans across the country.

What had recently sparked widespread concern among viewers has now been resolved, with authorities confirming that Bangladesh will be able to broadcast the tournament.

According to officials, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury played a central role in resolving the crisis, while Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) President Tabith Awal facilitated coordination with FIFA.

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The issue emerged when a Singapore-based firm, Springbok Pte Ltd, which had initially acquired Bangladesh’s media rights from FIFA, failed to resell the rights in the local market and eventually surrendered the deal. This left the country without a broadcaster less than two weeks before the start of the tournament.

High acquisition costs, limited commercial viability and inconvenient match timings reportedly discouraged local broadcasters from bidding for the rights.

Officials said the ministry, led by the state minister, took urgent steps to negotiate directly with FIFA and restructure the deal. Tabith Awal also played a key role in establishing communication between FIFA and local stakeholders, including Bangladesh Television (BTV) and other media platforms.

Speaking to a newspaper, Awal said FIFA had reached out to him in his capacity as BFF president to help facilitate coordination with local stakeholders and ensure a workable broadcasting arrangement.

He also noted that failing to broadcast the World Cup properly would have been deeply disappointing for fans, while stressing the importance of ensuring a commercially viable agreement for all parties involved.

Sources said the ministry and BFF jointly engaged multiple sports broadcasters, telecom operators and OTT platforms to explore alternative revenue models, including digital and telecom tie-ins—an approach not previously used in earlier World Cup cycles.

At a press briefing, state minister Yasser Khan Choudhury said BTV would not incur any loss under the new arrangement. He contrasted the outcome with previous agreements, claiming that earlier deals had resulted in financial inefficiencies for the state broadcaster.

Explaining the revised structure, he said an initial demand of around Tk200 crore had been deemed commercially unrealistic. Instead, a more viable arrangement was negotiated through direct engagement with FIFA and local partners.

He further said that the final broadcasting rights fee for FIFA World Cup 2026 has been set at around US$3.85 million, equivalent to approximately Tk47 crore.

Importantly, he added that BTV would not bear the cost directly. The expenditure, he said, would be covered through sponsorships and sublicensing arrangements with advertisers, telecom companies, satellite channels and OTT platforms.

“This ensures that the World Cup will be broadcast in Bangladesh at minimal cost to the state broadcaster,” he said, adding that the model demonstrates how structured negotiation and coordination can reduce public expenditure while maintaining service delivery.

Officials described the outcome as a significant breakthrough that will allow millions of viewers in Bangladesh to access football’s biggest tournament without disruption.