41% of Americans don’t know where they can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Younger viewers drive new World Cup streaming subscriptions as fans increasingly demand simpler access to live sport

More than two in five Americans (41%) say they don’t know where they can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to new research from subscription bundling platform, Bango.

Despite being one of the biggest sporting events in the world, many viewers remain unclear about how they will access matches. As sports rights become increasingly fragmented across streaming platforms, broadcasters and subscription services, even major global tournaments are becoming harder for consumers to navigate.

The survey of 2,500 Americans also reveals that the World Cup is set to become a major driver of subscription behavior. Almost one in five Americans (18%) say they plan to sign up to a new streaming service specifically to watch the tournament in 2026.

That figure rises sharply among younger audiences, with more than a third of Gen Z (36%) and Millennials (37%) saying they will take out a new subscription to access World Cup coverage. Among self-described sports fans, almost a quarter (23%) say they expect to subscribe to a new service specifically for the tournament.

Existing sports streamers are particularly likely to change their viewing habits. Nearly half (46%) of Americans who already subscribe to a sports streaming service say they will sign up to an additional service specifically to watch the World Cup, highlighting the growing challenge of navigating fragmented sports rights across multiple platforms.

Consumers are also revealing a strong desire for simpler access to this type of programming. Almost one in five Americans (18%) say they would pay extra for a single subscription that included every World Cup match in one place, rising to almost a quarter (23%) of self-described sports fans.

According to Bango, the findings point to a growing gap between how consumers want to access live sport and how sports content is currently distributed.

“The World Cup only comes around once every four years, yet millions of Americans are still unsure where they’ll be able to watch it. That highlights just how much the sports viewing landscape has changed.

“Fans have become used to major sporting events being spread across broadcasters, streaming services and subscription platforms. Whether it’s NFL games appearing across broadcast TV and multiple streaming services, or other sports splitting rights across multiple providers, viewers increasingly have to work out where the game is before they can watch it. Even an event as globally recognized as the World Cup isn’t immune to the confusion caused by that fragmentation.

“At the same time, the World Cup is proving to be a powerful driver of subscription behavior, particularly among younger audiences. But consumers are also sending a clear message that they want live sport to be easier to find and access. The fact that so many Americans remain unsure where they’ll watch the tournament shows that convenience and simplicity are becoming just as important as the content itself in today’s streaming market.”

Giles Tongue, subscription expert at Bango