The Cabinet Committee on Government Procurement on Saturday recommended approval of a proposal for Bangladesh Television (BTV) to acquire the all-media broadcasting rights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 directly from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) at a cost of more than Tk 72.70 crore.

The recommendation came at the 25th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase for 2026, where a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was placed and discussed.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury presided over the meeting held at Parliament.

According to the meeting’s briefing, the committee recommended approval of BTV’s proposal to procure the FIFA World Cup 2026 All Media Rights through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) from FIFA.

The total contract value has been fixed at Tk 72,70,57,692 (approximately Tk 72.71 crore).

FIFA, the global governing body of football and owner of the tournament’s commercial and media rights, has been selected as the recommended supplier under the direct procurement process.

Earlier, the proposal had received policy-level endorsement from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The committee recommended the proposal on the grounds that the rights can only be obtained directly from FIFA, which exclusively controls the broadcasting and media rights of the World Cup.

Officials said the acquisition of the all-media rights will enable state-owned broadcaster BTV to telecast matches and related content of the FIFA World Cup 2026 across its platforms, ensuring wider access for football fans throughout the country.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first World Cup to feature 48 participating teams.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase discussed and considered one proposal at Saturday’s meeting, which was subsequently recommended for final approval.