For the last month or so, millions of people across the globe have been tuned into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In fact, the 2026 World Cup was the most globally broadcast soccer event in history with broadcasting deals confirmed across multiple regions. Beyond those watching on their TVs though, there was also another audience FIFA was hoping to reach: those on social media. That’s why, if you’ve been on TikTok recently, you might have noticed the FIFA World Cup hub. A couple of live-streams might have even popped up on your For You page.

As FIFA’s first ever ‘preferred platform,’ TikTok set the stage for future collaborations between big events and social media platforms similar to this one. But why did the partnership happen in the first place?

Actually, what does becoming a ‘preferred platform’ even mean?

Under the partnership, chosen official media partners on TikTok are able to live-stream parts of matches and monetise their coverage. Those who are part of FIFA and TikTok’s creator programme will also be able to access special content such as press conferences, training sessions and FIFA archival footage.

Not only is this a fantastic incentive for content creators to focus their creative efforts on TikTok and World Cup content, it also means that all the content they create has the opportunity to be unique to the app.

Being a ‘preferred platform’ also means that when you search up any of the player names on TikTok, their profiles will show up, and that when you search up “2026 World Cup,” a ‘hub’ will pop up displaying various highlights, the match schedule, a calendar for when the next live will be, etc.

These features helped naturally boost engagement for FIFA on the app, as showcased by the nearly 20 million videos shared on TikTok using World Cup-related hashtags. It also made it easy for anyone who’s a casual watcher of the World Cup or anyone who’s new to the world of soccer to keep up with the matches and always stay on top of what’s happening.

Cool, but what did FIFA get out of it?

Of course, FIFA wouldn’t just partner with the social media giant for no reason, and the stats show that TikTok delivered. The official World Cup account generated an estimated 24 billion views throughout the tournament, while live streams of matches by official broadcasters on TikTok generated more than 465 million views.

More than that, the 2026 World Cup saw a record breaking $15 billion in revenue and an estimated viewership of 1.5 billion for the final.

So, what does this mean for the future of sports TV?

Not as much as you’d think. Despite general television viewership declining over the years, sports as a genre has been able to keep up with the new age of digital entertainment. The partnership was never meant to replace television but rather add to the experience. With the partnership, fans can easily contribute to conversations related to the matches, meet like-minded supporters of their teams, or learn more about a player or team they want to get into. 

Furthermore, the partnership supported content creators and encouraged natural growth into broader markets than on TV. Just think about it: How many of you who don’t watch soccer at all tuned in for the finale? Or found yourself searching for something World Cup related on TikTok? If at least one of you said yes, then that’s proof enough that the partnership with TikTok succeeded in bringing the World Cup to the fans right where they are, on their For You page.