The European Broadcast Union (EBU), a leading consortium of free-to-air broadcasters, has successfully secured TV and radio broadcast rights for the 2026 and 2030 editions of soccer’s prestigious FIFA World Cup in five territories.
With its affiliates set to showcase the 2026 World Cup matches in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, and Israel, the EBU continues to expand its influence. The member TV and radio broadcasters from these countries will broadcast the tournaments through this new rights deal. Specifically in Israel, however, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation will hold rights only for the 2026 edition.
The EBU is one of the most significant entities when it comes to securing media rights for major sports tournaments. With a network comprising 112 member organizations from across 54 countries and an additional 30 associate members from another 19 countries.
Enhanced coverage with additional content
Coverage of these tournaments will be enhanced by supplementary content provided by EBU’s Eurovision News network. This additional content includes shoulder content and ancillary programming around World Cup fixtures which aims at providing a comprehensive viewing experience for fans.
FIFA's ongoing relationship with the EBU was recently highlighted when they secured broadcast rights for FIFA’s Women’s World Cup matches scheduled for 2023 across several key European territories. This partnership further solidifies their commitment towards promoting football globally while ensuring maximum reach through free-to-air broadcasts.
Previously too, The EBU had managed to secure broadcasting rights for the upcoming FIFA World Cup slated to take place in Qatar in late-2022.
Future tournament locations
Looking ahead at future tournament locations; The United States along with Mexico and Canada are set to host matches during the expanded format tournament due in summer-2026 while Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will jointly stage the 2030 edition with some matches also scheduled to take place in South America.
Apart from football, the EBU has also been active in securing rights for other sports. Recently, it announced the renewal of its rights deal to broadcast European road cycling through 2030 across 13 markets. This move further emphasizes their commitment towards promoting diverse sports content across Europe.
This new development is a significant step forward for both FIFA and EBU as they continue their mission to bring world-class football action to fans around the globe.
