The most important games of the 2026 World Cup run at ARD and ZDF. According to information from the German Press Agency, the public service broadcasters have concluded a complex sublicense contract with Deutsche Telekom. The company had secured the TV rights for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico from the World Association FIFA three months ago.
The first and the second now acquired 60 World Cup games-in a exchange with EM rights. Telekom will show all 104 games of the tournament in North America on its paid online station MagentaTV. 44 of them are exclusive. The broadcasters and the telecommunications company initially did not want to comment on the deal.
Background of the exchange business: Telekom had landed a coup in June and was awarded FIFA for a comprehensive right of rights with a total of four tournaments, including the 2027 women’s World Cup in addition to the 2027 men’s World Cup. The fact that some games of the 2026 World Cup also run on Free TV was clear when the FIFA is concluded-but not, like many and at which transmitter. Telekom had signed a clause in the agreement with the World Association. “A large number of games to a freely recipient television channel with a nationwide range must be sued”, as FIFA had explained without further details.
Media Treaty protects games of the German national team
So far, it was only certain that the games of the German national team are broadcast in the event of a qualification at World Championships in the “freely received and generally accessible television program”. This is how the Media Treaty stipulates it. The games that are classified as events “of considerable social importance” also include the opening game, the two semi -finals and the final. These encounters will now show ARD and ZDF in the coming year.
The German team is not yet qualified. The DFB-Elf started the elimination round for the 2026 World Cup with a disappointing 0-2 defeat in Slovakia. Through the following 3: 1 against Northern Ireland, the DFB team goes to Slovakia in the next double matchday with a deficit of three points. In Sinsheim, Germany will meet Luxembourg group light on Friday (8:45 p.m./ARD). The game in Belfast against Northern Ireland will follow on Monday (8:45 p.m./RTL).
