Consumers confused over where to stream World Cup

More than two in five Americans say they do not know where they can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring growing confusion around live sports coverage as rights continue to spread across platforms, according to new research from the subscription-bundling platform Bango.

The survey of 2,500 Americans found that 41% are unsure where they can watch the tournament, despite the World Cup being one of the world’s largest sporting events. Bango said the findings reflect how fragmented sports rights have become across broadcasters, streaming platforms and subscription services.

“The World Cup only comes around once every four years, yet millions of Americans are still unsure where they’ll be able to watch it,” said Giles Tongue, subscription expert at Bango, in a statement. “That highlights just how much the sports viewing landscape has changed.”

For U.S. viewers, English-language broadcasts are being streamed on Fox One, which is a relatively new streaming offering. Spanish-language broadcasts are on NBCUniversal’s Peacock.

The research also points to the World Cup as a potential driver of new streaming subscriptions. Nearly one in five Americans, or 18%, said they plan to sign up for a new streaming service specifically to watch the tournament in 2026.

Younger viewers are significantly more likely to add a subscription. More than a third of Gen Z respondents, 36%, and millennials, 37%, said they expect to sign up for a new subscription to access World Cup coverage. Among self-described sports fans, 23% said they plan to subscribe to a new service specifically for the tournament.

Americans who already pay for sports streaming services are even more likely to add another subscription. Nearly half, 46%, said they will sign up for an additional service to watch the World Cup, highlighting the challenge consumers face as sports rights are split across multiple outlets.

“Fans have become used to major sporting events being spread across broadcasters, streaming services and subscription platforms,” Tongue said. “Whether it’s NFL games appearing across broadcast TV and multiple streaming services, or other sports splitting rights across multiple providers, viewers increasingly have to work out where the game is before they can watch it.”

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Consumers also appear willing to pay for a simpler option. The survey found that 18% of Americans would pay extra for one subscription that included every World Cup match in one place. That figure rises to 23% among self-described sports fans.

According to Bango, the results suggest a widening gap between how viewers want to watch live sports and how sports programming is currently distributed.

“The World Cup is proving to be a powerful driver of subscription behavior, particularly among younger audiences,” Tongue said. “But consumers are also sending a clear message that they want live sport to be easier to find and access. The fact that so many Americans remain unsure where they’ll watch the tournament shows that convenience and simplicity are becoming just as important as the content itself in today’s streaming market.”