Don't miss out on seeing 10% of this year’s FIFA World Cup live on YouTube tonight! Get your tickets now!
YouTube is set to stream a number of the 104 World Cup matches between June 11 to July 19. Al Diaz/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa YouTube and football's world governing body FIFA have entered into a strategic partnership for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, making YouTube an official "preferred platform" for the tournament. For viewers around the world, the agreement could shift some major football matches away from the apps of domestic broadcasters and onto Google's more widely used streaming platform, estimated to have some 2.
7 billion monthly active users. The announcement comes as the Oscars are planning to broadcast its film awards ceremony on YouTube from 2029 onwards. YouTube did not say how many of the 104 matches are set to be streamed live on its platform.
The 48 World Cup teams play from June 11 to July 19. "Media partners will be able to stream a select number of matches in full on their YouTube channel, engaging global audiences and promoting where to watch more of the competition," the Google-owned video platform announced. Partners, such as domestic broadcasters, can also show the first 10 minutes of each match as a freely accessible livestream on their YouTube channels.
Viewers would then still need to switch to another app with the rights to show the entire match. Some previous matches may also be streamed in full, and FIFA is also opening its digital archive and making historic World Cup matches available in full on the official FIFA channel. FIFA's new media strategy also envisages extensive involvement of YouTube content creators.
Selected influencers will, for the first time, be given access to matches and the digital archive. They are expected to shed new light on the tournament through tactical analyses, personal background stories and behind-the-scenes footage from new perspectives. YouTube is set to stream a number of the 104 World Cup matches between June 11 to July 19.