Sport 24, the sports broadcast channel for in-flight and cruise ships companies, has secured broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
IMG, the production company behind Sport 24, agreed the broadcast rights deal with FIFA for all 104 matches at the North America competition to be available to passengers on relevant airlines and cruises.
Taking place across the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June-19 July 2026, this will mark the fourth consecutive time the World Cup will be available on the IMG-owned and operated channel.
Richard Wise, SVP Content and Channels at IMG, said: “Sport 24 is all about bringing passengers live coverage of the world’s greatest sporting competitions, wherever they are in the world.
“Over past tournaments, we’ve seen the FIFA World Cup’s unique ability to spark viral moments as passengers celebrate historic victories together. We are delighted to once again broadcast extensive coverage of the FIFA World Cup live across our channels, so that fans never miss a minute of the action.”
During its broadcast of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Sport24 covered over 172 hours of the competition on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra to more than 1.4 million passengers on flights and cruises.
2026 World Cup games will be available to passengers on all airlines partnered with Sport 24, such as Etihad Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and more, whilst also being available on cruises like Royal Caribbean, Cathay Pacific, Carnival Group among others.
The move to show live broadcasts of the 2026 World Cup in the air and the seas will help FIFA garner more visibility and attention to its premiere competition.
This will be even more significant as for the first time in World Cup history, the competition will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams, meaning more games to watch for spectators.
Jean-Christophe Petit, Director of Media Partnerships at FIFA, added: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with IMG which will ensure millions of fans, whether they are in the air or out at sea, will have access to the FIFA World Cup.
“IMG will broadcast all 104 matches live on their inflight and inship channels, ensuring exceptional coverage of sport’s most iconic tournament through IMG’s footprint.”
Sport 24 has a history of broadcasting live football on its partnering airlines and cruises. It currently has deals in place with the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League, as well as previous national tournament competitions like UEFA EURO 2024 and the UEFA Nations League.
