Overview
- Matches now start at 15 distinct times from 18:00 to 06:00 MESZ, with more than half scheduled at or after midnight for European viewers.
- TV executives say contract talks had anticipated only four slots at 18:00, 21:00, 00:00 and 03:00 MESZ before the wider plan was unveiled.
- Deutsche Telekom holds rights to all 104 matches and is in discussions with FIFA, though the published kickoff times are presented as final.
- ARD and ZDF can air ads only before 20:00 under German rules, limiting revenue for late starts, including Germany’s group games at 22:00 MESZ on June 20 and 25.
- ZDF sports chief Yorck Polus calls the varied timings a major operational challenge, while FIFA says the schedule reflects summer temperatures in the U.S. and global TV markets.