The first and only live sports channel for the airline and cruise line industries, Sport 24 has obtained broadcast rights for the World Cup 2026.
IMG, the production group behind Sport 24, has reached an agreement with FIFA to broadcast all 104 North American competition matches to customers on relevant airlines and cruise lines.
The World Cup will be broadcast on the IMG-owned channel for the fourth time in a row, from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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.”
Sport24 covered over 172 hours of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, reaching over 1.4 million people on planes and cruises.
Passengers will be able to watch 2026 World Cup games on all Sport 24 partner airlines, including Etihad Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and more, as well as on cruise ships such as Royal Caribbean, Cathay Pacific, and Carnival Group.
The decision to put up live broadcasts of the 2026 World Cup in the air and on the seas will help FIFA increase exposure and attention to its top sport. This is even more important as for the very first time in World Cup history, the contest will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams, giving fans more games to watch.
Jean-Christophe Petit, Director of Media Partnerships at FIFA, said, “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 track record of broadcasting live football on its partner airlines and cruise ships. It presently has agreements with the NBA, Premier League, UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League, and more.