SAMSUL AREFIN KHAN

A consortium comprising BTV, T Sports and Star News is set to acquire the broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, officials confirmed on Tuesday, ending fears of a potential blackout of the tournament in Bangladesh.

The agreement, which is expected to be finalised within the next two days, comes just a week before the World Cup kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Although officials from the broadcasters declined to disclose the cost of the deal, it has been learnt that the rights are set to be secured for between USD 3 million and USD 4 million (approx. Tk 36-49 crore).

It is also understood that state-owned BTV will first obtain the rights from FIFA before sharing them with the two private channels, allowing all three broadcasters to air the matches live across the country. In addition, a digital streaming platform will provide live online coverage of the tournament.

“We are trying to telecast the World Cup in the country without spending a single taka of public money. There are many stakeholders involved. We are trying to negotiate with everyone,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon told The Daily Star on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a broadcast official familiar with the “In

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