UK media rights for FIFA World Cup 26: BBC, ITV seals broadcast deal
BBC Sport and ITV have agreed a deal for live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 26™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™ across TV, audio and digital platforms.
The two broadcasters will share the rights equally, splitting matches between them, including a shared final, ensuring continued free-to-air coverage of the FIFA World Cup. The BBC will show live TV coverage and highlights across the BBC TV Channels and iPlayer, with live audio commentary also being broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra. ITV will deliver free-to-air coverage of live fixtures across ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX, plus highlights and exclusive content on ITV Sport social accounts.
The FIFA World Cup 26™ – jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States – will feature a record 48 teams, 16 Host Cities and an unprecedented 104 matches, uniting the globe through football and creating the most inclusive sporting event in history.
The 2030 edition, meanwhile, marks the centenary of the tournament. Morocco, Portugal and Spain’s joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030™ has been confirmed as the sole candidate for the tournament by the FIFA Council. The FIFA Council also unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, where the first-ever FIFA World Cup took place in 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Mattias Grafström, FIFA Secretary General said, “The expanded FIFA World Cup is set to be an unforgettable event for football fans everywhere in 2026 and 2030. We are delighted to be able to extend our partnership with the BBC and ITV for the next two editions of the tournament, as they will provide strong platforms in the UK to reach the widest audience possible and optimise the viewing experience.”
Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Director of Sport, saids: “The BBC is delighted and excited to be showcasing these tournaments. The World Cup is magical, something the whole planet stops to experience, and we can’t wait to bring it to people across all platforms.”
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “We are looking forward to bringing these two tournaments free-to-air across ITV and ITVX. The World Cup always delivers some of the most memorable, historic and exciting moments in the sporting calendar and we are pleased to display the finest footballing action to the widest possible audience.”
2024 has been a successful year for FIFA World Cup 26™ media rights sales, with FIFA signing broadcast deals in over 20 markets with further deals to be concluded soon. Tenders in other key European markets will be launched in early 2025.
