Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.<\/p>\n
SBS has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the 2026 FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup, to be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n
The hybrid public broadcaster, which relies on advertising revenue and public funding, is the incumbent rights holder, having aired the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November and December. It also partially aired the 2018 tournament, stepping in after Optus Sport\u2019s coverage was disrupted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi celebrates his goal against the Socceroos at the 2022 World Cup. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The latest deal will allow SBS to retain both broadcast and digital rights to the expanded tournament featuring 104 matches. The 2026 FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup competition will host 48 national teams for the first time.<\/p>\n The tournament attracted interest from all free-to-air networks and Optus Sport, SBS ultimately emerging the victor.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball is in the DNA of SBS,\u201d said James Taylor, managing director of SBS. \u201cSBS has been the home of football on Australian television for almost 40 years, and we could not be more thrilled to announce that we will broadcast the 2026 tournament from North America, which will have more teams, more matches and draw more eyeballs than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n SBS first won the rights to the biggest global sporting event 1990, paying $20 million for each of the two most recent tournaments in 2011, the next tournament expected to cost significantly more.<\/p>\n SBS boss James Taylor<\/span>Credit: <\/span>SBS<\/cite><\/p>\n SBS declined to comment on the cost of acquiring the rights.<\/p>\n FIFA executives briefed Australia\u2019s television network executives in August following the Women\u2019s World Cup, held across Australia.<\/p>\n It subsequently sublicenced its rights for the 2018 event held in Russia to Optus Sport.<\/p>\n FIFA claimed 1.5 billion people viewed the final of the 2022 tournament, which saw Lionel Messi\u2019s Argentina lift the trophy in a thrilling match against France.<\/p>\n While interest in the Matildas is at an all-time high due to the team\u2019s success and hosting of the competition, the 2026 tournament will be aired in a more favourable time zone than the past two men\u2019s World Cups.<\/p>\n Taking place in three countries, the tournament will be hosted across in four different time zones \u2013 returning to its normal schedule across June and July.<\/p>\n A 7pm kick-off in Los Angeles would air at midday in Australia\u2019s eastern states, while a 7pm game in New York City would air at 9am.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n