Overview
- FIFA’s published schedule spans 15 kickoff times from 18:00 to 06:00 MESZ for 104 matches across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
- More than half of the games begin at midnight or later in Germany, squeezing audiences and complicating broadcasters’ programming.
- Deutsche Telekom, which holds all German rights, is reportedly in talks with FIFA over contract terms, while organizers indicate the timings will not change.
- ARD and ZDF, sublicensing 60 games, face legal ad restrictions after 20:00, with only Germany’s June 14 group match at 19:00 MESZ allowing commercials as the June 20 and 25 fixtures start at 22:00.
- ZDF sports director Yorck Polus called the varied times “a real challenge” for scheduling, logistics and personnel after broadcasters had expected just four fixed slots.