<strong Channel 4 has acquired exclusive UK broadcast rights for the home nations matches in the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) World Cup. All group stage fixtures and subsequent knockout rounds for the England and Scotland women's teams and the England and Wales men's teams will air live on the <strong Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel. The coverage includes the fixture between England Men and Wales Men on 19 August.
The tournament takes place between 14 and 30 August in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands. A total of 16 men's and 16 women's international teams will compete. Germany enters the tournament as the reigning men's champions and the Netherlands as the defending women's champions. <em Joe Blake-Turner, Interim Head of Sport at <strong Channel 4, confirmed the network will provide the coverage for free.
This agreement follows a separate three year broadcast deal running from 2024 to 2027. Under those terms, <strong Channel 4 serves as the official broadcast partner of the FIH Hockey Pro League. That contract mandates the broadcast of all England men's and women's matches and selected neutral fixtures on the <strong Channel 4 Sport YouTube platform. <em Rich Beer, CEO of <strong England Hockey, stated that the arrangement ensures all England World Cup matches are available free to air.
The 2026 FIH World Cup features 32 teams in total across both genders. The event is hosted across two European cities. The current partnership between the broadcaster and the governing body extends through the end of 2027.