Beyond the legal technicalities, the lack of interest from private broadcasters is largely attributed to the "unfavorable" match timings. With the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, many marquee matches are scheduled for 12:30 AM or 3:30 AM IST. For private entities, these late-night slots make it difficult to recover high licensing costs through traditional advertising, leading to the current deadlock in rights acquisition.

However, the petitioner argues that India’s engagement with football cannot be measured solely by ad revenue. Citing data from the 2022 World Cup, which saw over 745 million digital interactions from India, the plea stresses that the social and cultural impact of the tournament outweighs the commercial challenges. Ensuring access through the public broadcaster’s infrastructure—including the WAVES OTT platform—is presented as the only viable solution to prevent a total blackout.

The Delhi High Court has now asked the respondent authorities to obtain instructions and file their replies, with the matter listed for further hearing on May 20, 2026. This leaves a very narrow window for the government to negotiate with FIFA. If the court's intervention leads to a breakthrough, it could set a massive precedent for how global sporting events are treated as public goods in the digital age.

In conclusion, the next few days will be critical for the millions of Indian fans waiting for a "kick-off" on their television screens. Whether through a last-minute deal or a mandatory public broadcast, the hope remains that the FIFA World Cup trophy will be visible in every Indian household. For now, the ball is firmly in the court of the government and Prasar Bharati.