DAZN’s agreement to exclusively distribute GRUP MEDIAPRO’s dedicated 2026 FIFA World Cup channel on pay-TV in Spain will not remove the tournament entirely from free-to-air television, with key matches still protected by national regulations.
While the deal gives DAZN access to all 104 matches of the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 via a linear World Cup channel and on-demand coverage, Spanish legislation requires listed events to be broadcast free-to-air. This is expected to include Spain’s matches, the final and selected later-stage games, most likely shown by RTVE on La 1 and RTVE Play.
The Spanish model mirrors arrangements in other major European markets, where pay-TV and streaming operators hold comprehensive rights but public broadcasters retain access to protected fixtures.
In the UK, the World Cup is listed under Ofcom’s “Group A” events, meaning live coverage must be available free-to-air. Recent tournaments have been shared between BBC and ITV, even where pay-TV operators have held broader FIFA rights portfolios.
Germany follows a similar approach, with public broadcasters ARD and ZDF guaranteed access to matches involving the national team and the final, alongside wider commercial exploitation by pay-TV and digital platforms.
In France, World Cup matches involving Les Bleus and the final are protected for free-to-air broadcast, typically via TF1, despite increasing competition from subscription-based sports services for full tournament coverage.
DAZN’s Spanish deal underlines a broader European trend as streamers and pay-TV platforms secure end-to-end tournament coverage and dedicated channels, while free-to-air broadcasters maintain a reduced but high-impact role focused on national interest matches and major finals.
Further details on sublicensing and match allocations in Spain are expected closer to the start of the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
