The national broadcaster, KBC, has announced plans to air upcoming World Cup matches after securing government support to acquire broadcasting rights.
Speaking on Thursday, June 4, KBC Managing Director Agnes Kalekye confirmed that arrangements are being finalized to ensure viewers across the country can watch the global football event.
"We are pleased to inform the public that the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, through a directive, approved funds to acquire free-to-air broadcasting rights for KBC," she said.
Kalekye confirmed that the funding approval means viewers will not be required to pay additional fees to access the matches through the national broadcaster.
"This means that Kenyans will be able to watch World Cup matches live and free on air without any subscription fee," she added.
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According to Kalekye, KBC is currently finalizing processes related to the broadcasting rights ahead of the tournament.
"Our team is now finalizing on the rights in order to ensure that every Kenyan is able to enjoy this global sporting event from the comfort of their homes," she further said.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest World Cup in history as it is the first World Cup to be hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams instead of 32.
The tournament will begin on June 11 with the opening match scheduled for that day in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca, while the final will be played on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey area.
Three countries are jointly hosting the competition: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The tournament format is also changing significantly; instead of 32 teams, 48 nations will participate, divided into 12 groups of four teams each.
The expansion increases the total number of matches to 104 and introduces an additional knockout round, the Round of 32, before the traditional Round of 16.
The United States will host games in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and the New York City area.
Canada will host matches in Toronto and Vancouver, while Mexico’s host cities will be Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The United States will host the majority of the tournament, staging 78 matches, while Canada and Mexico will each host 13 games.
The United States will also host most of the knockout stages, including all matches from the quarter-finals onward.
