No price hike for World Cup subscription as fees stay at $98 and $118

SINGAPORE – There will be no price hike for the 2026 World Cup subscription plans in Singapore, after Mediacorp announced that fans can sign up at an early bird price of $98 from April 2 to 30 before the standard rate of $118 kicks in.

However, because of the expansion from 32 to 48 teams, fans will be able to watch 104 matches – 40 more than during the 2022 edition – live and on demand, at the same price.

According to a Mediacorp press statement on April 2, mewatch subscribers will benefit from instant activation when they sign up, and will also be able to stream on existing preferred devices such as smart TVs, tablets and smartphones.

All 104 matches in the tournament, which will be held across Canada, Mexico and the United States, will also be available through Mediacorp’s carriage partners Singtel and StarHub.

Mediacorp chief customer officer Angeline Poh said: “More matches, same price – we think that’s the right thing to do for football fans in Singapore. It’s our honour to bring this tournament to fans across Singapore, and we can’t wait to experience every moment together.”

In February, the national broadcaster revealed it had secured media rights to the June 11 to July 19 event and other FIFA tournaments from 2026 to 2028, such as the 2027 Women’s World Cup, and the Under-17 and U-20 World Cups for both genders.

Non-subscribers will also get to enjoy more free coverage of the matches on mewatch and Channel 5, with the number of free-to-air matches increasing from nine in 2022 to 28 in 2026.

These will comprise the opening match, 23 group-stage games, the two semi-finals, third-place play-off and the final. Beyond the live matches, there will also be a free FIFA+ channel on mewatch, a 24/7 programming that showcases full-length classic matches, curated highlights, vignettes and compilations, as well as a selection of FIFA+ titles and documentaries.

Brazil fan Abdul Rahman, a 42-year-old sales manager, was relieved to learn of the price freeze.

He said: “I was worried that the price would increase as it usually does, what more with 40 more matches in the expanded World Cup this year.

“Based on previous major tournaments, this is a good time to bond with my family and friends. So, at the same price, I would definitely subscribe to make sure I don’t miss any of Brazil’s matches at this World Cup.”

But not all are tempted to follow suit. France supporter Alex Chan felt that the kick-off times spreading across midnight to noon are not conducive for regular office workers.

The 32-year-old civil servant said: “I won’t be subscribing as I don’t think I will be able to watch most of the matches in the wee hours. At most, I will stay up to follow France, so hopefully their matches will be part of the free offering and they go far so that I can also watch them for free if they reach the semi-final and final.”