ARD and ZDF, Germany's public broadcasters, have secured broadcasting rights for 60 matches of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup for a total of 152 million euros. Deutsche Telekom sold these sub-licensing rights, having acquired all broadcasting rights for the tournament scheduled to take place across the USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

With the deal in place, ARD and ZDF will be able to broadcast 30 matches each, which includes significant games such as all matches featuring the German national team, the opening match, the semifinals, and the final. This arrangement is aligned with an earlier agreement between Deutsche Telekom and SportA, the rights agency for both public broadcasters, allowing them to present key sporting events to the German audience via conventional television.

The context of this deal also highlights a shift in sports broadcasting, as the nature of sports viewership evolves with digital platforms like Magenta TV. Should the interest in major sporting events continue to rise, public broadcasters like ARD and ZDF play a critical role in ensuring mass accessibility to these events, while also navigating the competitive landscape of sports rights acquisition against profit-driven entities. This move reinforces their commitment to broadcasting prominent sports events in Germany, particularly for the national team's matches that draw significant viewer interest.