Hong Kong has officially secured broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the FIFA website in recent days.
Under the arrangement, Now TV and free-to-air broadcaster ViuTV, both operated under PCCW, have obtained exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament in Hong Kong. Now TV will air all 104 matches live on its pay-TV platform, while ViuTV will broadcast selected matches free to air, including the opening match and the final.
According to reports, PCCW spent approximately US$25 million (around RMB 170 million) to acquire the World Cup broadcasting rights.
Reports also said FIFA initially quoted China Central Television (CCTV) between US$250 million and US$300 million for a single-edition World Cup broadcasting package, while CCTV's budget was reportedly around US$60 million to US$80 million.
Even after several rounds of negotiations reportedly reduced the asking price to between US$120 million and US$150 million, a substantial gap remained between FIFA's expectations and the budget of Chinese broadcasters.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match will be held on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, while the final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico across 16 cities. A total of 104 matches will be played, representing a 62.5% increase from the 64 matches staged at the Qatar World Cup. The tournament duration will also be extended to 40 days.
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