On Sunday, June 14, 2026, the Netherlands and Japan will meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in what serves as Japan's opening fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM local time, which translates to 9:00 PM BST. For viewers across dozens of countries, knowing exactly where and how to access the live broadcast - legally and reliably - is the first practical challenge of the event.
How Broadcast Rights Determine What You Can Watch
Television and streaming rights for major international competitions are sold on a territory-by-territory basis. A rights holder in one country has no obligation - and often no legal permission - to serve audiences elsewhere. This means the platform you can access depends entirely on your physical location at the time of broadcast. Free-to-air coverage in one country may sit behind a paywall in the next, and some regions have no domestic rights holder at all, leaving viewers to navigate their options independently.
In Japan, the broadcast arrangement is notably broad. The Japan Consortium has secured coverage across NHK's terrestrial, NHK+, and BS Premium 4K channels, as well as commercial networks Nippon TV and Fuji TV. Premium streaming is available via DAZN. Dutch viewers are served by public broadcaster NOS, with free-to-air transmission on NPO 1 and streaming via NOS.nl and the NPO Start app - an arrangement that reflects the Netherlands' longstanding public media commitment to major international events.
Using a VPN to Access Broadcasts From Outside Your Country
Geo-restrictions are enforced at the IP address level: streaming platforms detect your location and block access to content that falls outside their licensed territory. A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, works by routing your internet connection through a server based in another country, making you appear to be browsing from that location. The process is straightforward in practice.
- Sign up for a reputable VPN service and install the application on your device.
- Connect to a server in the country whose streaming platform you want to access.
- Open a private or incognito browser window - this prevents the platform from reading stored cookies that may reveal your actual location.
- Log in to the relevant streaming service and locate the live broadcast.
Three services stand out for reliability in this context. NordVPN supports up to ten devices simultaneously and is well regarded for consistent performance across multiple regions, starting from $3.39 per month. Surfshark places no limit on the number of connected devices and offers competitive pricing from $2.19 per month, making it a practical choice for households. ExpressVPN is widely considered the fastest option available, with 24/7 live support and a built-in sports calendar feature, priced from $6.67 per month.
One practical caveat: bypassing geographic access restrictions can conflict with the Terms of Service of certain streaming platforms. Free VPN services are not a viable alternative - they typically lack the bandwidth and unblocking capability required for high-definition live video, and many log user data, raising privacy concerns of their own.
Worldwide Broadcast Listings by Country
The following table covers confirmed rights holders across major territories. Where multiple platforms are listed, rights may be split between free-to-air and subscription services.
- ๐ฆ๐ซ Afghanistan - ATN
- ๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania - TV Klan
- ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algeria - beIN SPORTS Connect
- ๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra - TVE La 1, M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+
- ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina - Telefe Argentina, DIRECTV Sports Argentina, DGO, mitelefe, Paramount+
- ๐ฆ๐บ Australia - SBS, SBS On Demand
- ๐ฆ๐น Austria - ORF eins, ORF ON
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium - La Une, Proximus Pickx, RTBF Auvio Direct, Sporza
- ๐ง๐ด Bolivia - Red Uno, Unitel, Tigo Sports Bolivia, Disney+ Premium Chile, Entel TV
- ๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina - Arena Sport
- ๐ง๐ท Brazil - SporTV, Globo, Globoplay, SBT, Zapping, N Sports, Claro TV+, Sky+, CazรฉTV, Vivo Play
- ๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria - BNT
- ๐จ๐ฆ Canada - TSN+, TSN1, CTV, RDS App, CTV App, Crave
- ๐จ๐ฑ Chile - Chilevision, DIRECTV Sports Chile, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- ๐จ๐ด Colombia - Caracol TV, RCN Television, DIRECTV Sports Colombia, DGO, Deportes RCN En Vivo, Caracol Play, ditu, Radio Nacional de Colombia, Paramount+
- ๐จ๐ท Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TDMAX, FOX
- ๐ญ๐ท Croatia - HRTi
- ๐จ๐พ Cyprus - Sigma TV
- ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia - ฤT Sport, OnePlay
- ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark - TV2 Denmark, TV2 Play Denmark
- ๐ช๐จ Ecuador - DIRECTV Sports Ecuador, DGO, Teleamazonas, Paramount+
- ๐ธ๐ป El Salvador - Canal 4 El Salvador, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports El Salvador, FOX
- ๐ช๐ช Estonia - Go3 Extra Sports Estonia
- ๐ซ๐ฏ Fiji - FBC Sports
- ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland - MTV3, MTV Urheilu 1, MTV Katsomo
- ๐ซ๐ท France - M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Molotov, Free, 6play, myCANAL
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany - ZDF, MagentaTV
- ๐ฌ๐น Guatemala - TeleOnce Guatemala, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Chapin TV, Tigo Sports Guatemala, FOX
- ๐ญ๐ณ Honduras - Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Honduras, FOX
- ๐ญ๐ฐ Hong Kong - ViuTV, 616 Now Sports 4K, 618 Now Sports
- ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia - TVRI, Vidio, TVRI Sport
- ๐ฎ๐ท Iran - beIN SPORTS Connect
- ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland - RTร
- ๐ฎ๐น Italy - DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- ๐ฏ๐ต Japan - DAZN Japan, NHK, Nippon TV, Fuji TV
- ๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo - RTK1, ArtMotion, TV Vala Kosovo Telecom
- ๐ฒ๐ด Macau - ViuTV
- ๐ฒ๐บ Mauritius - New World Sport App
- ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico - Canal 5 Televisa, Azteca 7, TUDN En Vivo, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, ViX Mexico
- ๐ Middle East and North Africa - beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- ๐ณ๐ต Nepal - Himalaya TV, DGO, Himalaya Sports TV
- ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands - NPO 1, Ziggo Go, Canal+ Netherlands
- ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand - TVNZ 1, TVNZ+
- ๐ณ๐ฎ Nicaragua - Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Nicaragua, FOX
- ๐ณ๐ด Norway - TV 2 Direkte, TV 2 Play
- ๐ต๐ฆ Panama - RPC, TVN Panama, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TVMax, Medcom GO, Tigo Sports Panama, FOX
- ๐ต๐ช Peru - DIRECTV Sports Peru, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- ๐ต๐น Portugal - Sport TV
- ๐ท๐ด Romania - Antena 1, Antena Play
- ๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino - DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore - Singtel TV GO, meWATCH
- ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa - SABC 3, SABC Plus, Sporty TV App
What to Check Before Broadcast Day
Broadcast arrangements for events of this scale can shift in the weeks preceding the event - rights deals are occasionally renegotiated, and platforms sometimes add or consolidate coverage at short notice. Verifying directly with your domestic broadcaster's website closer to June 14, 2026 is the most reliable approach. If you intend to use a VPN, ensure your subscription is active and that your chosen server location corresponds to a territory with confirmed free access, to avoid encountering a paywall mid-connection. For those travelling internationally on the day, this preparation matters considerably more than it might at home.
