Public broadcaster Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has struck a deal with pay-TV broadcaster Sky New Zealand to allow commercial venues across the country to air the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 international soccer tournament.
Under the agreement, Sky Sport Venue customers, which include bars, restaurants, hotels, and motels across New Zealand, will be able to buy a Sky Venue Pass, which will give them access to a pop-up FIFA World Cup 2026 channel that will broadcast all 104 games during the tournament.
TVNZ holds rights in the country to show all games of the tournament in a deal struck in August 2025, replacing Sky NZ, which held the main rights package to the 2022 edition.
It then doubled down on its rights by adding games involving the New Zealand (All Whites) national team in the run-up to the tournament.
Under its tournament broadcast plans, TVNZ will only show 11 of the 104 games free-to-air, including All Whites matches. The entire tournament schedule, meanwhile, will only be available to those who purchase an event pass on the broadcaster’s newly launched streaming service, TVNZ+
The move marks the first time that TVNZ has charged fees for access to its content.
This year’s World Cup is being staged across the US, Canada, and Mexico and will feature an extended list of 48 teams, including the All Whites.
The broadcaster’s rights package also includes FTA coverage of the Under-17 and Under-20 men’s and women’s World Cups this year and in 2026, respectively.
At the time of the rights announcement, TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell said: “Launching a pay product means TVNZ can competitively bid for and acquire more sports and serve it to audiences in the ways they want to watch it – whether it’s every moment live, or free-to-air on our channels.”
TVNZ has previously said that while it will maintain its original FTA ad-funded business model, it was looking to introduce pay-TV offerings as part of its five-year digital strategy.
Meanwhile, Dutch telecoms group Talpa has secured an agreement with public service broadcaster NOS to show highlights from the World Cup.
As part of the agreement, highlights will be aired during Talpa’s Vandaag Inside Oranje, De Oranjezomer, and Het Oranje Café daily magazine programs during the tournament.
NOS holds rights to broadcast all 104 World Cup matches in the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) as part of an agreement covering the 2026 and 2030 editions, with the public broadcaster to air both across linear TV, online streaming, and radio.
NOS Sport editor-in-chief Xander Van der Wulp said: “We have previously indicated our openness to public-private partnerships. Therefore, we offered the rights to live matches and all highlights through a tender last year. From these discussions, a collaboration with Talpa has emerged.
“NOS will broadcast all matches live and provide comprehensive coverage of the World Cup on television, radio, and online. Talpa will additionally produce a TV program featuring highlights. This way, we complement each other and ensure that the World Cup is accessible to as large an audience as possible.”
