The domestic media rights for the 2026 World Cup in Japan have been acquired by Dentsu and licensed across over-the-air broadcast (NHK, Nippon Television, Fuji TV), satellite (NHK BS Premium 4K), and streaming (DAZN, NHK ONE). One major change from the 2022 Qatar tournament is that ABEMA, which streamed all 64 matches free in 2022, is not carrying the 2026 tournament. Anyone whose viewing plan was built around ABEMA needs to re-plan. This article walks through how a catch-up viewer in Japan can combine the available services to cover the matches they care about.
This article reflects information available as of May 2026. Per-match broadcast assignments are being finalized progressively up to the tournament; check each broadcaster’s and streamer’s official schedule for the latest details.
Over-the-air and satellite TV
NHK
- Terrestrial (NHK General): 33 matches live, including the opener and the final (2 of Japan’s 3 group-stage matches are slated for terrestrial here)
- NHK BS Premium 4K: All 104 matches broadcast, mixing live and time-shifted replays
If you have a 4K-capable recording setup, BS Premium 4K alone covers every match in the tournament. Given the late-night kickoffs of a North-American-hosted World Cup, daytime replay slots become the practical viewing source for most matches.
Nippon Television (NTV)
- 15 matches live, including one of Japan’s three group-stage matches
Fuji TV
- 10 matches live, focused on marquee fixtures
Total terrestrial + satellite live coverage = NHK 33 + NTV 15 + Fuji 10 = 58 matches. The remaining 46 matches plus the recorded portion of BS Premium 4K are covered by streaming.
Streaming services
DAZN
- All 104 matches live
- Japan’s three group-stage matches are streamed free without a DAZN subscription
- The only streaming service in Japan with full live coverage of every match
DAZN typically makes the on-demand version available immediately after the live broadcast ends, so the catch-up lag is minimal.
NHK ONE (formerly NHK Plus)
- Simultaneous and on-demand streaming of the 33 NHK terrestrial matches plus highlights programs
- The BS Premium 4K coverage has a different distribution scope — verify per-program before relying on it
This is the central catch-up surface for matches NHK broadcasts on terrestrial. Free for viewers with an NHK subscription contract.
ABEMA is not part of the 2026 tournament
ABEMA’s 2022 coverage of all 64 World Cup matches free of charge made it the de-facto streaming option for many fans. For the 2026 tournament, ABEMA is not broadcasting. Anyone who built their plan around ABEMA needs to switch to DAZN or fall back to NHK terrestrial / BS 4K.
Combinations for catch-up viewers
| Coverage you want | Recommended setup |
|---|---|
| Japan matches only | NHK terrestrial (2 matches) + DAZN free (3 matches) |
| All 104 matches via recording | NHK BS Premium 4K (requires a 4K-capable recorder) |
| All 104 matches live + on-demand | DAZN |
| Selective catch-up of marquee fixtures | NHK ONE (NHK matches) + DAZN (everything else) |
| Mobile / on-the-go viewing | DAZN |
If you’re only tracking Japan, terrestrial and DAZN’s free Japan stream are sufficient. If you want full coverage, build around BS Premium 4K (recording-friendly) or DAZN (streaming-friendly) as the spine.
Catch-up timing differences
When you’ve missed the live broadcast, the lag before catch-up content becomes available varies:
- NHK ONE: On-demand entries publish progressively after the terrestrial broadcast ends. The post-production lag means the on-demand version may not appear immediately
- DAZN: The on-demand version is available almost immediately after the live broadcast ends, with effectively zero lag
- NHK BS Premium 4K: Replay slots show up in the EPG schedule — expect late-night and early-morning replay slots during the tournament
For recording-margin guidance, see the schedule-reading article: allow ~2.5 hours for group-stage recordings and ~3.5 hours for knockout matches.
Summary
- Terrestrial: NHK 33 + NTV 15 + Fuji 10 = 58 matches
- NHK BS Premium 4K covers all 104 matches (live + recorded)
- DAZN streams all 104 matches live, with Japan’s matches free
- NHK ONE provides simultaneous and on-demand streaming for NHK terrestrial coverage
- ABEMA is not carrying the 2026 tournament
Per-match assignments will be progressively finalized closer to the tournament — verify against each broadcaster’s official schedule, and combine with Match Later’s fixture list to plan the recordings and streams that match your viewing pace.