FIFA 2026: Record audiences, record revenues, a watershed moment for broadcast and streaming
This year’s FIFA World Cup was the most watched sporting event in history, but not everyone had equal access to it. Funding challenges facing broadcasters, particularly public service broadcasting, have been a growing concern globally, and FIFA 2026 brought those tensions into sharp relief. The ability of public service broadcasters to secure major sports rights has been in decline for some time, driven by escalating rights fees and fierce competition. For audiences who cannot afford pay-TV subscriptions or match passes, this has increasingly meant being locked out of live coverage of the world’s most-watched sporting event. When major sports events are broadcast over-the-air, audiences can access coverage at high quality regardless of their broadband capacity or the number of viewers simultaneously…