Telekom Secures Broadcasting Rights for 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada
The German telecommunications company, Telekom, has secured the broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, the company announced on Friday.
Wolfgang Metze, the head of private customer business, described the package as the “largest media rights package ever” and expressed his delight at the successful conclusion of the deal. The tournament, set to take place next year, will feature a record 104 games with 48 teams and will be broadcast on MagentaTV, the company’s streaming service.
It is expected that Telekom will sub-license some of the matches to other TV stations, similar to the 2024 European Championship, when ARD and ZDF were allowed to broadcast certain matches.
According to the German Broadcasting Treaty, all German national team matches, the opening match, the semi-finals and the final must be broadcast in the free-to-air television, as they are considered events of significant social importance.