Singapore's state broadcaster, Mediacorp, has secured a significant media rights deal with the world soccer governing body, FIFA. The agreement covers multiple tournaments including this year's flagship men’s World Cup.
Under the new agreement, Mediacorp will broadcast all 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Additionally, it will cover a range of other FIFA events taking place between 2026 and 2028. These include U-17 Men's and Women's World Cups and U-20 Men's and Women's World Cups.
The upcoming men’s World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19 later this year.
Unprecedented access for Singaporean fans
Mediacorp plans to air all 104 matches from this tournament which will feature an unprecedented number of participating teams - a total of 48 for the first time ever. Every match will be available to Mediacorp subscribers on its digital platform mewatch as well as on carriage partner platforms.
In contrast with the limited access during the previous tournament where only nine free-to-air matches were available for viewing in Singapore during the 2022 World Cup; under this new deal fans can now watch up to 28 matches for free on Channel 5 and meWATCH. This includes key games such as opening match, selected group stage games, both semi-finals and final match.
Previously in Singapore, broadcasting rights for the last edition of world cup were primarily held by StarHub who sublicensed packages of rights to rival telco Singtel and Mediacorp.
Enhanced streaming options
In addition to traditional broadcasting channels, Mediacorp also offers access via its streaming platform, FIFA+ as a free channel on mewatch. This move is part of an ongoing effort to enhance the viewing experience for sports fans in Singapore.
In October, Mediacorp and StarHub agreed on a carriage deal. Through this strategic tie-up, Mediacorp now carries content packages from StarHub TV+ on its mewatch platform. From a sporting perspective, mewatch now offers live properties such as English soccer's top-tier Premier League to its customers. This addition further enriches the range of sports content available to subscribers.
The new media rights deal between Mediacorp and FIFA marks a significant milestone for sports broadcasting in Singapore. With comprehensive coverage of multiple tournaments and enhanced streaming options, Singaporean football fans can look forward to an unprecedented level of access and enjoyment during the upcoming World Cup events.
