2026 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights

Here is the complete, up-to-date guide to FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcasting Rights — every country, every platform, and the controversies you need to know about.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is the biggest sporting event in human history — 48 teams, 104 matches, three host nations, and a global audience of billions. But with more matches comes a more complex broadcasting landscape than ever before.

From FOX Sports in the United States to the BBC in the UK, and a dramatic unresolved standoff in India and China, the question of where to watch the 2026 World Cup is one of the most important stories ahead of June 11.

How FIFA Sells Broadcasting Rights

Before diving into specific countries, it’s worth understanding how the system works. FIFA sells broadcasting rights market by market — territory by territory — rather than through a single global package.

That means the answer to “where can I watch?” depends on where you live, what language you prefer, and whether you’re watching on television, a streaming app, or your phone.

FIFA has generated nearly $4 billion in broadcasting revenue during this World Cup cycle alone, covering all scheduled matches. Rights are bundled into TV, radio, mobile, and internet packages, and in many territories, multiple broadcasters share coverage across platforms.

The expanded 48-team format includes 72 group stage matches, from the round of 32 to the final, totaling 104 matches. This creates more simultaneous broadcast windows and a more complex web of broadcast rights than any previous edition.

United States — FOX Sports & Telemundo

The USA is the primary host nation, and its broadcast setup is the most extensive in the world.

FOX Sports holds the English rights and Telemundo holds the Spanish rights, together sharing all 104 matches across linear TV and streaming. A record 40 matches air in primetime — FOX takes 21 of them and FS1 takes 19.

Every knockout match from July 4 onwards, including all four quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the third-place match, and the Final, airs on FOX.

FOX One streams all 104 English matches in 4K direct-to-consumer, while Peacock streams all 104 in Spanish. Telemundo airs 700 hours of programming — the most ever for a Spanish-language World Cup broadcast.

It is worth noting that FIFA renewed the US and Canadian broadcasting rights contracts for Fox, NBCUniversal, and Bell Media back in February 2015, without accepting any other bids.

United Kingdom — BBC & ITV (Free to Air)

British football fans are among the luckiest in the world. Matches — including the Final — are shared between BBC and ITV, with both broadcasters delivering free-to-air coverage.

Fans can also stream via BBC iPlayer and ITVX at no cost. No subscription, no paywall — every match available to every viewer.

Now, United Kingdom Fans watch the Full World Cup Schedule live on BBC & ITV.

Canada — Bell Media

Bell Media holds Canadian broadcasting rights, covering the tournament for one of the three co-host nations across its TV and streaming platforms.

Mexico — TelevisaUnivision & TV Azteca

TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca air every match free in Mexico — appropriate for the nation hosting the tournament’s historic opening game on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca.

Australia — SBS (Free to Air)

SBS shows all 104 matches free in Australia, making it one of the most generous World Cup broadcast arrangements in the world despite the challenging time zone differences for matches played in North America.

Europe — Public TV Dominates

Most of Europe defaults to a hybrid model combining public television with streaming access. Key confirmed broadcasters include:

• France — M6, RTL, RMC (radio), Radio France
• Germany — Telekom Deutschland
• Netherlands — NOS (public broadcaster, free-to-air)
• Norway — TV 2 Norway and NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)
• Denmark — DR Danmark and TV 2 Denmark
• Finland — MTV and Yleisradio (Finnish Broadcasting Company)
• Poland — TVP (Telewizja Polska, public broadcaster)
• Monaco — M6 and RMC

Multiple European countries, including Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands, have confirmed both TV and internet rights with their national public broadcasters, ensuring free coverage for most European football fans.

South America — Grupo Globo Leads Brazil

Brazil has the richest broadcast lineup in the region. Grupo Globo leads primary coverage, CazéTV streams the entire tournament free on YouTube, and SBT and N Sports provide additional free-to-air coverage.

Brazilian fans face no barriers to watching all 104 matches. DSports holds regional pay-TV rights across most of South America, excluding Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Asia — Mixed Picture, Key Markets Confirmed

• South Korea — JTBC holds confirmed media rights
• Singapore — Mediacorp holds exclusive Singapore media rights
• Central Asia — Central Asian countries get free coverage: Kazakhstan has QAZTRK, Kyrgyzstan has KTRK, Tajikistan has Varzish TV and TV Football, Turkmenistan has Turkmenistan Sport, and Uzbekistan has Zo’r TV.

International Travel — Sport24

Sport24 holds rights for international in-flight and cruise ship broadcasts, covering more than 600 aircraft and 100 cruise ships worldwide.

Airlines that carry Sport24 include Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruise lines also carry the channel.

Social Media & Digital Deals

TikTok became a “preferred platform” for World Cup video content in January 2026, allowing broadcasters to stream portions of games at a dedicated hub on the TikTok app.

YouTube secured a similar deal in March 2026, enabling broadcasters to stream select games in full on their YouTube channels and making the first 10 minutes of every match freely available on the platform worldwide.

FIFA+ will provide highlights, press conferences, and behind-the-scenes content throughout the tournament, but it will not carry live match coverage in territories where exclusive broadcast rights belong to a local partner, which covers virtually every major market.

These social platform deals do not replace traditional broadcasters. They supplement them.

The biggest story: India and China strike a last-minute deal, says broadcaster

The most dramatic subplot in the entire 2026 broadcasting landscape involves the world’s two most populous nations — and was remains unresolved just weeks before kickoff.

FIFA has successfully avoided a blackout in both countries by striking last-minute broadcast deals.

• India: Last-Minute Deal with Zee Entertainment: On June 1, 2026, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited signed a late commercial partnership with FIFA.
• China: Standoff Ended with China Media Group (CMG): On May 15, 2026, FIFA finalized a broadcast agreement with China Media Group (CMG), the parent company of state broadcaster CCTV.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcasting Rights

Sport24 has obtained the rights to provide international content for in-flight and cruise ship travel. Here is detailed information about all scheduled global TV broadcast matches, categorized by country or region.

Top 2026 FIFA World Cup Broadcasting Rights at a Glance

FIFA World Cup 2026 TV channels

The TV coverage for the FIFA World Cup 2026 now reaches over 200 territories globally, with free-to-air broadcasts being the primary option for most fans.

Countries such as the UK, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and many parts of Europe provide ample access to free and accessible broadcasts.

The glaring exceptions are India and China — two nations that together account for nearly 3 billion people and whose fans deserve better.

With the tournament starting on June 11, FIFA and potential broadcasters in both countries are quickly running out of time to finalize a deal.

Upcoming Opening Match Schedule

The tournament officially kicks off on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Below are the opening matches for the host nations: