Under the partnership, broadcasters will be allowed to stream the first 10 minutes of matches from the 48-team tournament, scheduled to take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada between June 11 and July 19.

The opening match will be held in Mexico City, featuring the host nation Mexico against South Africa in a Group A fixture.

FIFA said the initiative is aimed at attracting younger audiences by allowing them to watch match openings on YouTube before transitioning to traditional broadcast channels.

Media partners will also be able to stream select matches in full, share extended highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, Shorts and video-on-demand content via the platform.

In addition, FIFA plans to release archival content, including full-length historic matches and iconic moments, on its official YouTube channel.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said the collaboration would expand fan engagement and provide easier access to tournament content globally.

The post FIFA Taps YouTube as Streaming Partner for 2026 World Cup appeared first on Tech Digest News.

Under the three-year agreement running until 2029, Stats Perform will also hold exclusive rights to distribute official betting data and live streams for several other FIFA competitions. These include the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the Futsal World Cups, youth World Cups, and the Intercontinental Cup.

FIFA said Stats Perform’s RunningBall unit will deliver official betting data, while its Opta brand will provide player statistics, insights, scores, and match trackers exclusively to licensed sportsbooks.

The company will also act as an official distributor of live FIFA match streams to customers of licensed sports betting operators in selected territories, FIFA said in a statement.

Romy Gai, FIFA’s chief business officer, said the partnership would expand access to official FIFA products while benefiting fans and the wider football ecosystem.

The post FIFA Taps Sports AI Firm as Official Betting Data and Streaming Partner appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST- According to the US Justice Department, 55 websites have been taken down for illegitimately live-streaming games from the World Cup in Qatar.

According to a statement from the department, the websites were taken down after a FIFA representative discovered them to be used to transmit copyright-violating information without FIFA’s consent. The World Cup, which is in the semifinal round, is the sole property of FIFA.

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“While many may believe that such websites do not constitute serious threats, the infringement upon rights holders of any intellectual property is a growing threat to our economic viability,” said special agent James Harris of the Homeland Security Department.

The Justice Department did not specify the websites that had been taken down, but it did state that anyone who visited them would be taken to another website for more details.

“The impact can be felt across multiple industries, and it can be the conduit to other forms of criminal activity,” Harris said.

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