List of FIFA World Cup broadcasters

The FIFA World Cup was first broadcast on television in 1954 and is now the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the Olympic Games.[1] 715.2 million individuals watched the final match of the 2006 tournament (representing 11 percent of the entire population of the planet). The 2006 World Cup draw, which decided the distribution of teams into groups, was watched by 300 million viewers.[2]

Asia

Brunei

Hong Kong

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Australia

Europe

Austria

Belgium

Germany

Finland

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Netherlands

Poland

Russia

Spain

United Kingdom

Over 100 nations have provided wall-to-wall coverage since the communications satellite launchings allowed for worldwide coverage beginning in 1966. European coverage of the World Cup has been extensive since 1954 (though with the World Cup held in Chile in 1962, much of the Euro coverage that year was tape-delayed).

Broadcast of the qualification for the World Cup Finals for England is currently held by ITV (terrestrial, home and away matches) with Sky holding rights for home and away matches for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These were previously held by the BBC but BBC have highlights of each home nation in their respective nation so BBC Scotland show Scotland highlights, BBC Wales show Wales highlights and BBC Northern Ireland show NI highlights.

However, coverage of the World Cup Finals is on a government mandated 'protected' list meaning it must be shown on free-to-air terrestrial television (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five) as opposed to satellite or cable television.[3] Although only one broadcaster is required, the two biggest terrestrial operators, the BBC and ITV, have always made a joint bid for coverage with broadcast of the Home Nations matches (particularly England) alternating between the broadcasters up to the later stages of the tournament. This is believed to prevent an extremely expensive bidding war for coverage between the two networks, with the current agreement running until the 2014 tournament.

Year Channel Commentators
2014 BBC
ITV
2010 BBC
ITV
2006 BBC
ITV
2002 BBC
ITV
1998 BBC
ITV
1994 BBC
ITV
1990 BBC
ITV
1986 BBC
ITV
1982 BBC
ITV
1978 BBC
ITV
1974 BBC
ITV
1970 BBC
ITV
1966 BBC
ITV

Notes

Middle East and North Africa

North America

Canada

CBC broadcast the FIFA World Cup in 1986, 2002 and 2010, as well as the 2014 World Cup, along with Sportsnet. TSN also broadcast the FIFA World Cup in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.[5] On October 27, 2011, Bell Media, the parent company of TSN, announced that they had secured broadcast rights for FIFA soccer from 2015 to 2022. The rights include the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cupwhich was hosted in Canada.[6]

Mexico

United States

English-language television

Finals
Year Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
2026 Fox[7]
2022
2018
2014 ABC Ian Darke Steve McManaman Mike Tirico and Bob Ley Alexi Lalas, Santiago Solari, Michael Ballack, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gilberto Silva, Alejandro Moreno, Taylor Twellman and Kasey Keller
2010 Martin Tyler Efan Ekoku Chris Fowler and Bob Ley Alexi Lalas, Steve McManaman and Ruud Gullit
2006 Dave O'Brien Marcelo Balboa Brent Musburger Eric Wynalda and Julie Foudy
2002 Jack Edwards Ty Keough Terry Gannon Eric Wynalda and Giorgio Chinaglia
1998 Bob Ley Seamus Malin Brent Musburger Eric Wynalda
1994 Roger Twibell Seamus Malin and Rick Davis Jim McKay Desmond Armstrong
1990 TNT Bob Neal Mick Luckhurst Ernie Johnson, Jr.
1986 NBC Charlie Jones Rick Davis and Paul Gardner Don Criqui Seamus Malin
1982 ABC[8] Jim McKay Mario Machado and Paul Gardner Giorgio Chinaglia
1978 No coverage
1974 CBS (used BBC's feed with BBC commentators) David Coleman
1970 ABC Jim McKay
1966 NBC[9] Jim Simpson[10]

Notes

Other rounds

Year Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Studio host Studio analyst(s)
2026 Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2[7]
2022
2018
2014 Alexi Lalas, Steve McManaman, Michael Ballack, Alejandro Moreno, Kasey Keller, Gilberto Silva, Santiago Solari, Roberto Martínez, Taylor Twellman and Ruud van Nistelrooy
2010
Alexi Lalas, Jürgen Klinsmann, Ruud Gullit, Steve McManaman, Shaun Bartlett and Roberto Martínez
2006
Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Julie Foudy, and Heather Mitts
2002
Terry Gannon Eric Wynalda and Giorgio Chinaglia
1998
Brent Musburger Eric Wynalda
1994
Jim McKay (ABC only) Desmond Armstrong (ABC only)
1990 TNT[26] Ernie Johnson, Jr.
1986 NBC[27] Charlie Jones Rick Davis and Paul Gardner Don Criqui Seamus Malin
ESPN[28] JP Dellacamera Seamus Malin and Shep Messing
1982 PBS[29] Toby Charles None
ESPN[30] Bob Ley Seamus Malin
Notes

Spanish-language television

Year Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
2026 NBC Universo
Telemundo
Telemundo Deportes
2022
2018
2014 Galavisión
UniMás (Telefutura)
Univision
UDN (2014 Only)
2010
2006
2002
1998 Andrés Cantor Norberto Longo
1994 Andrés Cantor Norberto Longo
1990 Andrés Cantor Norberto Longo
1986 SIN Tony Tirado Norberto Longo and Jorge Berry
1982 SIN (used Televisa's (Mexico) feed) Gerardo Pena
1978 Tony Tirado Enrique Gratas
1974 Tony Tirado
1970 Tony Tirado
Notes

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Perú

Paraguay

Uruguay

See also

References

  1. "Facts and figures FIFA World Cup™". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  2. Socceroos face major challenge: Hiddink, ABC Sport, December 10, 2005. Retrieved May 13, 2006.
  3. "Free-to-air TV sport reconsidered". BBC News. 2008-09-26.
  4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/02_february/06/world.shtml
  5. Harrison, Doug (2012-08-14). "CBC, Sportsnet deal broadens FIFA coverage". CBC Sports. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  6. "Bell Media lands deal for FIFA soccer from 2015 through 2022". TSN. 27 October 2011.
  7. 1 2 "FIFA awards US TV Rights for 2015-2022" (Press release). FIFA. October 21, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  8. Google Search (timeline) - 1982 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  9. Blum, Ronald (April 20, 2010). "ESPN bets on World Cup spurring US soccer boom". Bloomberg Businessweek. Associated Press. Retrieved May 27, 2015. That's a big change from the first U.S. World Cup telecast, when NBC rebroadcast the BBC's coverage of England's win over Germany in the 1966 final. As recently as 1978, the tournament wasn't on U.S. TV at all, with closed circuit transmissions the preferred method. ABC televised the 1982 final, and ESPN, PBS and the Spanish network SIN combined to broadcast the other games. Four years later, at the tournament in Mexico, only 22 matches were shown on U.S. English-language television - 15 on ESPN and seven on NBC.
  10. Aug 2, 1966 - Baseball's World Series, hockey's Stanley Cup, the National Football League Championship and Kentucky Derby became also rans in drama and international ... De spite errors in soccer terminology, NBC's Jim Simpson did an adequate job of commenting in the interests of American viewers, ...
  11. Google Search (timeline) - 2010 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  12. Google Search (timeline) - 2010 FIFA World Cup on ESPN2
  13. Google Search (timeline) - 2010 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  14. Google Search (timeline) - 2006 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  15. Google Search (timeline) - 2006 FIFA World Cup on ESPN2
  16. Google Search (timeline) - 2006 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  17. Google Search (timelime) - 2002 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  18. Google Search (timeline) - 2002 FIFA World Cup on ESPN2
  19. Google Search (timeline) - 2002 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  20. Google Search (timeline) - 1998 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  21. Google Search (timeline) - 1998 FIFA World Cup on ESPN2
  22. Google Search (timeline) - 1998 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  23. Google Search (timeline) - 1994 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  24. Google Search (timeline) - 1994 FIFA World Cup on ESPN2
  25. Google Search (timeline) - 1994 FIFA World Cup on ABC
  26. Google Search (timeline) - 1990 FIFA World Cup on TNT
  27. Google Search (timeline) - 1986 FIFA World Cup on NBC
  28. Google Search (timeline) - 1986 FIA World Cup on ESPN
  29. Google Search (timeline) - 1982 FIFA World Cup on PBS
  30. Google Search (timeline) - 1982 FIFA World Cup on ESPN
  31. Fatsis, Stefan. "Fans Say ESPN's World Cup Coverage Deserves Penalty," The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, July 5, 2006.
  32. Sports Media Watch presents the ten worst personnel moves of the 2000s. #5: Dave O'Brien calls the World Cup (2006, ESPN)

Sources

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