IMG announced it has secured the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup 26™ to the Inflight and Cruise Ship markets. The new agreement grants IMG exclusive live rights to broadcast all 104 matches on the Sport 24 channels globally.
Taking place across Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July 2026, the FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the fourth consecutive edition of the men’s competition to be broadcast on the IMG owned and operated channels. It follows the huge success of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which saw 172 live hours broadcast on Sport 24 & Sport 24 Extra with over 1.4 million passengers tuning in to watch inflight. The tournament was a similar success for cruise lines, with many unmissable moments being broadcast live from the pool decks and lounges.
The tournament is also the latest addition to Sport 24’s extensive live football coverage, which includes the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, UEFA EURO 2024 and the AFC Asian Cup. FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the first edition of the tournament to include 48 teams, with current World Champions Argentina defending their title.
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.”
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.”
Sport 24 is the first and only live sports channel available on airlines and cruise ships around the world. It can be viewed on 610 aircrafts and 119 cruise ships, which include Etihad Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Carnival Group, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian Cruise Line, Fred Olsen and more.
