TVNZ has rights to 2026 Fifa football World Cup; will charge for some games

Monday, 25 August 2025

TVNZ has confirmed it has secured the rights to next year’s Fifa World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and that it will charge viewers to watch some matches.

The All Whites qualified for the finals in March, after beating New Caledonia 3-0 at Eden Park in Auckland.

TVNZ’s announcement is the first official confirmation that the state-owned broadcaster is launching a pay-TV option, after first discussing that as a possibility back in 2014.

Word emerged last week that it was in line to get the rights to the event after outbidding Sky TV, but that was not confirmed at the time by TVNZ, which it is understood had not then formally signed the contract with Fifa.

Fifa was reported to have originally put the New Zealand rights to the 2026 tournament, the Women’s World Cup in 2027, and the 2030 World Cup out to tender at the same time.

But a TVNZ spokesperson said its agreement only encompassed next year’s event.

Football fans would have the option of watching “select coverage” free-to-air, or purchasing an event pass for extensive coverage on streaming service TVNZ+, TVNZ said in a statement.

All matches featuring the All Whites would be available free-to-air, it said.

Chief executive Jodi O’Donnell said securing comprehensive rights to “such a massive sporting occasion” was a huge moment for TVNZ, which is due to report its annual result on Friday.

“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,” she said, describing that as a game changer for the broadcaster.