FIFA Initiates In-Flight and In-Ship Tender for 2026, 2027 World Cups
FIFA, the global governing body of soccer, has started the tender process for in-flight and in-ship media rights for the upcoming World Cups in 2026 for men and 2027 for women. Interested parties can request tender documents by emailing inflightinship@fifa.org, with the submission deadline set for 12pm Central European Time on July 2.
The 2026 Men’s World Cup will be hosted across Mexico, Canada, and the US, while the 2027 Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil. IMG, a prominent sports and entertainment agency, has held these rights for the past 15 years through its Sport 24 service. The partnership between FIFA and IMG began in late 2009, and IMG has been the exclusive distributor of in-flight and ship-at-sea rights for various World Cups since then.
Sport 24, IMG’s dedicated in-flight and in-ship channel, is available on several leading cruise companies and airlines globally. In addition to the World Cups, Sport 24 also covers other major sporting events like Formula 1, NHL, and Wimbledon.
Recently, FIFA conducted a tender process for media rights in eight Balkan markets for the next two Men’s World Cups, following similar tenders in Indonesia and the UK. The TV rights for national team tournaments in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia were up for grabs, with a deadline of June 4 for submissions.
Stay tuned for more updates on the evolving landscape of sports media rights and partnerships.
Biography:
Name: FIFA
Founded: May 21, 1904
Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland
President: Gianni Infantino
FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer. It is responsible for organizing major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, which is the most prestigious competition in international soccer. FIFA’s mission is to promote and develop the sport globally, ensuring fair play and integrity in all aspects of the game.