CCTV agrees to deal for next two FIFA World Cups

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China Central Television, better known as CCTV, has signed an agreement with FIFA that will allow the national broadcaster to show the next two World Cups. The deal was completed in Beijing, the capital of China on Tuesday.

The signing ceremony was held at CCTV headquarters where FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura met with CCTV Deputy Editor in Chief, Peng Jianming. CCTV first brought the World Cup to China in 1978, and will continue to broadcast the football showpiece for the 2018 and 2022 editions. The agreement also covers other tournaments held by FIFA during the period, including the Confederations Cup.

"Under FIFA’s 2.0 Vision for the future, it’s very clear that by 2026, we aim to have 60 percent of the world population participating in football. This is a beautiful blossoming process," said Samoura.

2018 World Cup mascot /VCG Photo

In the past 40 years, Chinese football fans have had access to the World Cup through CCTV which enjoys a large share of the domestic market. Even though the new media trend has affected the demographics, CCTV remains on top.

Peng Jianming, CCTV Deputy Editor in Chief said: "China Central Television has spared no efforts to broadcast the World Cup since 1978 which has helped the viewing market thrive for nearly 40 years. This has proven that CCTV is the best partner in the Chinese mainland. We also hope we can push forward the development of sports in China through this cooperation."

CCTV 5, the sports channel, has developed a complete system of football programs and acquired a large audience, and their patronage will be rewarded with the 2018 World Cup in Russia followed by the 2022 tournament in Qatar.