Global digital advertising firm, Aleph, has secured exclusive broadcast rights to the highly anticipated 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup in the Philippines. This development follows an initial tender process that commenced in November 2024.
In a gatekeeper deal announced recently, Aleph will spearhead commercialization and multimedia distribution of media rights for the upcoming World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place across Mexico, Canada, and the US during June and July of 2026. Aleph will be responsible for appointing media rights partners across various platforms such as free-to-air, pay-TV, digital streaming, mobile, and video-on-demand.
In addition to this, Aleph now also becomes a crucial point of contact for brands seeking advertising, sponsorship, and commercial opportunities across multiple media platforms within the Philippine market.
Anna Dy, country head in the Philippines for Aleph, said:
"We are seeing a fundamental shift in fan culture, where digital content creation has become a primary way for fans to live and share the sport in real-time. For brands in the Philippines, this is a massive opportunity to connect with an audience that is more mobile, more expressive, and more invested in the game than ever before."
Expansion of teams
The 2026 World Cup marks a significant milestone as it will be the first-ever tournament to feature 48 teams - an increase from previous editions which had only 32 teams. Despite never having qualified for a Men's World Cup before, this expansion offers new opportunities for countries like The Philippines. The last edition of men’s World Cup held in Qatar during 2022 was broadcasted live by Tap DMV in Philippines. Meanwhile, Cignal TV covered pay-TV broadcasting rights for Women's World Cup (WWC) held in Australia and New Zealand during 2023.
Earlier this week France awarded its broadcast rights for the upcoming two editions of FIFA world cup to international pay-TV heavyweight BeIN Sports. This decision came despite French soccer’s Ligue1+ OTT streaming service claiming success in bidding earlier on. BeIN is set to broadcast all games from each of the next two editions on its range of pay-TV linear channels, reportedly paying around €40 million ($47.5 million) for the rights to both tournaments.
The acquisition by Aleph signifies a significant shift in sports broadcasting within The Philippines. As gatekeeper, Aleph will play a pivotal role in shaping how fans experience one of the world's most-watched sporting events. With an expanded team lineup and new broadcast partnerships, the 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be an exciting event for sports fans and bettors alike.
