Sports fans, get ready! The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a major event on television, with a notable portion of the action set to be broadcast on free-to-air channels. Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have secured rights to 60 games, including any matches featuring the German national team, should they qualify.
However, for the ultimate fan experience, one platform will be showing every single match of the North American tournament. Deutsche Telekom, through its paid online service MagentaTV, has acquired the complete broadcast rights from FIFA. this means MagentaTV will be the exclusive home for 44 games, with the remaining 60 shared with ARD and ZDF.
This arrangement is part of a larger, complex sublicensing deal between deutsche Telekom and the public broadcasters, which also involves rights for the European Championship.deutsche Telekom had previously secured a extensive package of rights from FIFA, covering not only the 2026 Men’s World Cup but also the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
While it was known that some games would be available on free TV, the specifics were unclear until now.FIFA had stipulated that a “large number of games” must be broadcast on a free-to-air channel with nationwide reach. This commitment ensures that major events, including the opening match, semi-finals, and the final, will be accessible to a broad audience.
DFB Team’s Path to the World Cup
The inclusion of the German national team’s games in the ARD and ZDF package is contingent on their qualification. The team’s journey to the 2026 World Cup has had a rocky start, with an opening loss to Slovakia followed by a victory against Northern Ireland. They currently trail Slovakia by three points heading into their next set of matches.
Germany is set to face Luxembourg on friday, with a crucial match against Northern Ireland following on Monday.Fans will be able to catch the Luxembourg game on ARD, while the Northern Ireland match will be broadcast on RTL.
