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SportsTwo World Cup quarterfinals to air exclusively on MagentaTV pay-TV
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The article reports that the final two quarterfinal matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast exclusively on pay-TV via MagentaTV, not on free-to-air channels. The first match features Norway vs. England at 11 PM, highlighting star strikers Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. The second match at 3 AM features Argentina vs. Switzerland, the latter reaching the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. MagentaTV achieved record viewership of 6.9 million for a round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway. The semifinals on July 14-15 will be shared between ARD/ZDF and MagentaTV, the third-place match on July 18 is exclusive to MagentaTV, and the final on July 19 will air on both ZDF and MagentaTV.
Source report
Attention, fans! The quarterfinals of the Football World Cup will not be available entirely on free-to-air television. Tonight's matches are exclusively on pay-TV via MagentaTV.
Starting at 11 PM, the Telekom platform will first broadcast the duel between Norway and England. It is the clash of top strikers Erling Haaland (25, seven World Cup goals so far) and Harry Kane (32, six goals).
The second exclusive MagentaTV match kicks off at 3 AM on Sunday night. World champions Argentina (dramatic win against Egypt) will then face Switzerland, who have reached the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.
Source: BILD, 07.07.2026
How the World Cup Continues on TV
- Semifinals (July 14 & 15, both at 9 PM): Both matches will be broadcast simultaneously on ARD/ZDF and MagentaTV. ARD gets first pick of one match, while the other airs on ZDF.
- Third-place match (July 18, 11 PM): Will only be shown on the Telekom platform.
- Final (July 19, 9 PM): From the New York New Jersey Stadium, available on ZDF and MagentaTV.
MagentaTV achieved very good viewership numbers for exclusive matches in the round of 16. At its peak, 6.9 million fans watched the Brazil vs. Norway match (1:2) on the platform.
Arnim Butzen, Telekom's TV chief, commented: "Two quarterfinal thrillers exclusively on MagentaTV – these are real football holidays for all of us. In the round of 16, we already saw how well this strategy works. 6.9 million viewers for Brazil vs. Norway is an absolute record and underscores the enormous interest in this tournament. The closer the final gets, the more people follow the decisive matches with us. And only on MagentaTV do they get everything a fan's heart desires."
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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