When the Netherlands faces Japan at AT&T Stadium in the opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, millions of viewers worldwide will have access to the event through an extensive network of free-to-air and subscription broadcast agreements spanning every major region. Whether you are watching from Amsterdam, Tokyo, São Paulo, or Sydney, a licensed platform exists to carry the coverage - legally, in your language, and without cost in many cases. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of where to find it.
Free-to-Air Coverage Anchors the Broadcast Landscape
In the Netherlands, public broadcaster NOS holds the official rights. Coverage airs across its flagship networks and is available for live streaming at NOS.nl and via the NPO Start application - no subscription required. Dutch viewers also have access through Ziggo Go and Canal+ Netherlands for those with existing pay-television arrangements.
In Japan, the broadcast is distributed through the Japan Consortium, which means live coverage appears simultaneously on NHK terrestrial channels, NHK+, and BS Premium 4K, as well as on commercial networks Nippon TV and Fuji TV. DAZN Japan carries premium digital coverage for subscribers preferring on-demand flexibility.
Across Europe, public broadcasters carry much of the weight. Germany's ZDF offers free-to-air coverage alongside MagentaTV. Austria's ORF eins and its streaming platform ORF ON provide the same. In France, M6 and beIN Sports 1 share rights, with streaming available through M6+, 6play, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, and myCANAL. Italy's RAI 1 airs the event free-to-air, with RaiPlay handling online access and DAZN Italia serving subscribers.
Latin America and the Asia-Pacific Region
In Latin America, coverage is distributed across a dense web of free-to-air and pay-television providers, often with multiple platforms carrying simultaneous streams. Argentina's Telefe and DIRECTV Sports Argentina anchor coverage there, with DGO and Paramount+ providing digital access. Brazil carries one of the most expansive broadcast arrangements on the continent - Globo, SBT, SporTV, CazéTV, Globoplay, and several others all hold rights, reflecting the scale of interest in the region.
Mexico broadcasts through Canal 5 Televisa, Azteca 7, TUDN, and ViX Mexico. Colombia's rights are split across Caracol TV, RCN Television, DIRECTV Sports Colombia, and Paramount+. Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia each have their own combinations of DIRECTV, DGO, local free-to-air channels, and streaming platforms.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia's SBS and SBS On Demand carry the coverage at no cost to viewers. New Zealand receives it through TVNZ 1 and the TVNZ+ streaming service. Indonesia has access via TVRI and Vidio, while Hong Kong viewers can watch on ViuTV, 616 Now Sports 4K, or 618 Now Sports.
How to Watch From Outside Your Home Country
Broadcast rights are territorial. A platform licensed to stream coverage in Australia cannot legally serve a viewer in Canada, and streaming services enforce this through geo-blocking - technology that reads your IP address and restricts access based on detected location. For viewers travelling abroad or living in countries where coverage is behind a paywall, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) offers a technical workaround.
A VPN routes your internet connection through a server in a country of your choice, masking your actual location and allowing you to access platforms as though you were physically present in that territory. The practical steps are straightforward:
- Sign up for a reputable paid VPN service such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark and install the application on your device.
- Connect to a server located in the country where your preferred platform is licensed - for example, a Netherlands-based server to access NPO Start.
- Open a private or incognito browser window to prevent the streaming site from reading stored cookies that could reveal your actual location.
- Log in to the platform, locate the live stream, and begin watching.
Free VPN services are not suitable for live broadcast viewing. They impose bandwidth limits, suffer from overcrowded servers, and frequently fail to bypass the detection systems used by major streaming platforms. A paid subscription to an established provider costs a fraction of what most streaming services charge monthly and performs substantially better under live-stream conditions.
One important caveat: using a VPN to circumvent geo-restrictions may violate the Terms of Service of the streaming platform in question. It does not constitute a criminal act in most jurisdictions, but it does place the technical risk - including the possibility of account suspension - with the user. Viewers should weigh that consideration before proceeding.
Worldwide Broadcaster Reference
The following table lists confirmed broadcast rights holders by country and region. Where multiple platforms are listed, rights are typically shared - meaning the event may air simultaneously across free-to-air and subscription services within the same territory.
- Afghanistan: ATN
- Albania: TV Klan
- Algeria: beIN SPORTS Connect
- Andorra: TVE La 1, M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+
- Argentina: Telefe Argentina, DIRECTV Sports Argentina, DGO, mitelefe, Paramount+
- Australia: SBS, SBS On Demand
- Austria: ORF eins, ORF ON
- Belgium: La Une, Proximus Pickx, RTBF Auvio Direct, Sporza
- Bolivia: Red Uno, Unitel, Tigo Sports Bolivia, Disney+ Premium Chile, Entel TV
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Arena Sport
- Brazil: SporTV, Globo, Globoplay, SBT, Zapping, N Sports, Claro TV+, Sky+, CazéTV, Vivo Play
- Bulgaria: BNT
- Canada: TSN+, TSN1, CTV, RDS App, CTV App, Crave
- Chile: Chilevision, DIRECTV Sports Chile, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- Colombia: Caracol TV, RCN Television, DIRECTV Sports Colombia, DGO, Deportes RCN En Vivo, Caracol Play, ditu, Radio Nacional de Colombia, Paramount+
- Costa Rica: Teletica Canal 7, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TDMAX, FOX
- Croatia: HRTi
- Cyprus: Sigma TV
- Czechia: ČT Sport, OnePlay
- Denmark: TV2 Denmark, TV2 Play Denmark
- Ecuador: DIRECTV Sports Ecuador, DGO, Teleamazonas, Paramount+
- El Salvador: Canal 4 El Salvador, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports El Salvador, FOX
- Estonia: Go3 Extra Sports Estonia
- Fiji: FBC Sports
- Finland: MTV3, MTV Urheilu 1, MTV Katsomo
- France: M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Molotov, Free, 6play, myCANAL
- Germany: ZDF, MagentaTV
- Guatemala: TeleOnce Guatemala, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Chapin TV, Tigo Sports Guatemala, FOX
- Honduras: Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Honduras, FOX
- Hong Kong: ViuTV, 616 Now Sports 4K, 618 Now Sports
- Indonesia: TVRI, Vidio, TVRI Sport
- Iran: beIN SPORTS Connect
- Ireland: RTÉ
- Italy: DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- Japan: DAZN Japan, NHK, Nippon TV, Fuji TV
- Kosovo: RTK1, ArtMotion, TV Vala Kosovo Telecom
- Macau: ViuTV
- Mauritius: New World Sport App
- Mexico: Canal 5 Televisa, Azteca 7, TUDN En Vivo, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, ViX Mexico
- Middle East and North Africa: beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- Nepal: Himalaya TV, DGO, Himalaya Sports TV
- Netherlands: NPO 1, Ziggo Go, Canal+ Netherlands
- New Zealand: TVNZ 1, TVNZ+
- Nicaragua: Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Nicaragua, FOX
- Norway: TV 2 Direkte, TV 2 Play
- Panama: RPC, TVN Panama, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TVMax, Medcom GO, Tigo Sports Panama, FOX
- Peru: DIRECTV Sports Peru, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- Portugal: Sport TV
- Romania: Antena 1, Antena Play
- San Marino: DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- Singapore: Singtel TV GO, meWATCH
