The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded format — 48 participating nations competing across 104 total matches — with media partners paying FIFA an estimated $3.9 billion in media rights to broadcast coverage.

Streaming distribution has been an important element in past World Cups, but even more so in 2026, as consumers increasingly turn to streaming platforms for entertainment, news and live sports according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, who provided the following analysis on streaming availability of the tournament:

Key highlights include

• Historically, streaming media rights for World Cup coverage have generally been held by one or two media partners in each market. That model began to shift in 2026 in some markets, however, with numerous streaming rights holders in markets including Brazil and Japan.
• Big global streamers such as Netflix, Prime Video and Warner Bros Discovery’s HBO Max will not be making any World Cup coverage available directly to subscribers.

• Americas: While the US lags other markets in sheer audience size for World Cup action, it is unmatched in delivering ad dollars for marquee live sporting events and generates the highest CPMs globally for streaming video ad inventory. Brazil will have the most diverse availability on the streaming side, with coverage split across platforms operated by Globo Comunicação e Participações SA, LiveMode and Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Ltda.
• EMEA: World Cup 2026 rights in EMEA are spread equally across streaming video, broadcast TV and mobile, with radio also available in select markets. Viewers in major Western European markets such as France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK will be able to stream the games through a mix of free and pay services.
• Asia-Pacific: The upcoming FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be a more concentrated rights cycle in select markets in the APAC region, reflecting a shift in how platforms approach premium sports content. With subscription growth plateauing in some markets, media companies have adopted a more disciplined approach to rights acquisition, placing greater emphasis on return on investment rather than pursuing scale at any cost. Broadcast and streaming rights negotiations, particularly in mainland China and India, extended much closer to the tournament start date than in previous cycles.

The World Cup kicks off on June 11th, with the opening match seeing Mexico take on South Africa.

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