KBS and JTBC to Co-Broadcast North and Central America World Cup

KBS and JTBC Agree on Joint Broadcast of 2026 North American World Cup South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS and cable network JTBC have reached an agreement to jointly broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The decision confirms that terrestrial television viewers in South Korea will have access to the tournament through KBS, although JTBC will also carry the matches as part of a shared arrangement. The move comes after initial concerns that JTBC might secure exclusive rights to the event, which would have limited free-to-air access. Instead, the two networks opted for a collaborative approach, ensuring broader public availability. KBS emphasized that the joint broadcast fulfills its public service mandate and justifies the value of the license fee paid by viewers. According to reports, negotiations are also underway with MBC and SBS to potentially include them in the broadcasting consortium, though no final agreement has been reached with those networks at this time. The 2026 World Cup will mark the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and to be co-hosted by three nations. Matches will be held in cities across North America, with the final scheduled for July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For South Korean fans, the joint KBS-JTBC arrangement means they will be able to follow their national team’s journey in the tournament through both traditional and cable platforms, maintaining wide accessibility to one of the world’s most-watched sporting events. The broadcast partnership underscores the growing importance of major international tournaments in South Korea’s media landscape and reflects ongoing efforts to balance commercial interests with public access to global sports.