TV Klan, a leading commercial broadcaster in Albania, has successfully secured exclusive domestic rights to the highly anticipated 2027 FIFA World Cup. The network will provide comprehensive free-to-air coverage of all World Cup matches.
The tournament is set to take place across three North American countries: the US, Mexico, and Canada. This acquisition ensures that Albanian soccer fans will have unprecedented access to every match of this global event.
Moreover, TV Klan will also exclusively broadcast all matches involving the Albanian national team should they qualify for the World Cup. This move further solidifies TV Klan's commitment towards promoting and supporting local sports talent on an international platform.
A history of sports broadcasting
This isn't TV Klan's first venture into sports broadcasting; it previously held rights to UEFA Euros matches where Albania participated before being eliminated at the group stage. The acquisition of rights for FIFA World Cup marks another significant milestone in their journey as a leading sports broadcaster.
The 2027 World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11 at Mexico’s Estadio Azteca in Mexico City - boasting a capacity of over 87,000 spectators - making it the largest venue at this grand event. The tournament will conclude on July 19 at MetLife stadium in New Jersey with an impressive capacity of around 82,000 spectators. FIFA has been actively conducting several media rights tenders for its flagship quadrennial national teams' tournament over recent months across various regions globally.
In Europe, tenders were launched in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova Romania and Slovakia with bids closing mid-April. In UK, rights were put up for sale early April with deadline set end-April. In Asian A tender was issued in Indonesia with offers due by late May. FIFA also launched the tender process for worldwide in-ship and in-flight media rights to the 2027 World Cup last month (June).
Other media rights acquisitions
In a similar vein, French media company Groupe M6 secured exclusive free-to-air rights to both the 2026 and 2030 World Cups earlier this year. Furthermore, FIFA recently announced its decision to sell its media rights directly in the Asian market for the first time under a new strategy. However, it has retained Infront sports marketing agency as an advisor in selected territories. In this advisory role, Infront will provide guidance on media rights for both the 2026 Men's World Cup and 2027 Women’s World Cup across various territories within Asia.
The acquisition of these broadcasting rights by TV Klan is indeed a significant development for Albanian football fans who can now look forward to enjoying comprehensive coverage of one of sport's biggest events right from their homes.
