Advancements in technology and improved Wi-Fi connectivity during the 21st century have transformed how fans across the world watch sports events.
‘Cutting the cord’ has become increasingly commonplace as viewers transition from traditional broadcast platforms to live streaming services.
This presents significant challenges for companies who had previously enjoyed a monopoly over acquiring rights for major sports events.
With that in mind, read this guide from Sports Today on how to watch live sports, starting with one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year.
How watch the 2026 World Cup
FIFA has sold the broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to various companies. The tournament will be screened across broadcast and streaming platforms.
FOX, NBCUniversal and Bell Media are the primary broadcasters in North America, while the BBC and ITV hold the rights to the World Cup in the United Kingdom.
As is the case across other jurisdictions, those firms will broadcast the tournament via traditional television platforms and through their live streaming services.
Sports fans have increasingly gravitated towards streaming platforms in recent years, which has forced broadcasters to change the way they operate.
How to watch major sports
Live streaming has undoubtedly shaken up the sports broadcast landscape, particularly for the major leagues in North America.
For instance, National Football League (NFL) coverage is fragmented across Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN, ABC, Paramount+, CBS and YouTube.
It is a similar story for the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Hockey League (NHL).
While fans worldwide now have more choice, the annual cost of collectively accessing all of the coverage can be extremely prohibitive.
Using VPNs to watch live sports
Virtual Private Network (VPN) software creates an encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic, hiding your IP address and location from websites and your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Reliable VPNs route data through a remote server, enhance privacy, secure connections on public Wi-Fi and allows users to bypass geo-blocking restrictions.
The technology is an invaluable tool for sports fans, allowing them to access live streams which may ordinarily been unavailable in their jurisdiction.
Many of the best VPN providers offer budget-friendly subscription options that allow fans to use their products for a small monthly fee.
Viewer demand places greater importance on highlights
While the demand for live sports streaming is still off the scale, changes in viewer habits are beginning to have a noteworthy impact on the worldwide landscape.
Many modern-day sports fans are unwilling to invest time into watching events in their entirety, which has forced broadcasters and streaming platforms to revise their operations.
FIFA’s agreement with TikTok signed in January 2026 perfectly demonstrates this point. TikTok is now a ‘preferred platform’ for World Cup video content.
This allows broadcasters to stream parts of games via a dedicated hub on the TikTok app. FIFA has also signed a similar deal with YouTube.
The future of streaming and sports viewing
The global demand for live streaming content is driving companies such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to make major plays to secure the rights to sports events.
As audiences increasingly gravitate towards streaming services, traditional broadcasters are being forced to rethink how they deliver content to their viewers.
Innovations such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery (MAUD) will reshape how live content reaches audiences over the next few years.
With tech-savvy audiences demanding more interactive and engaging ways to experience live sports, ‘passive viewership’ looks increasingly likely to become a thing of the past.