IFAF World Flag 26 set for record global broadcast distribution
Düsseldorf, Germany – 11 August 2026:
The IFAF Flag Football World Championships Düsseldorf 2026 – the sport’s first Olympic Qualifier – is set to reach unprecedented audiences when competition gets under way this Thursday, August 13.
The Championships, which run until Sunday, August 16, will be broadcast to a potential audience of 180 million around the world.
It follows the announcement in May of IFAF’s first-ever global broadcast distribution agreement, with DAZN signing up for multi-year coverage as flag football continues its groundbreaking journey towards the Olympic Games LA28.
In addition, regional broadcast agreements have been signed in the following territories for live or extended highlights coverage of the IFAF Flag Football World Championships 2026:
Canada – CBC Gem / ICI TOU.TV
China – Tencent
Germany, Austria, Switzerland – RTL+
Mexico – ESPN Mexico (digital)
Panama – Medcom
Spain - Mediaset
United Kingdom – Sky Sports
USA – NFL Channel (FAST), NFL Youtube, NBC Universal
Worldwide, all group games, placement games and quarter finals will be available via the @IFAFMedia YouTube channel, while fully produced coverage of the crucial semi-finals and medals games will be accessible live and free via the DAZN platform over the coming weekend.
More than 112 hours of coverage is set to be aired in total.
The international broadcast feed for the Championships will be produced by Spontent in association with the NFL. On-air talent for the semi-finals and medals games will include:
Rhett Lewis – play-by-play announcer
Former NFL Network host
Kate Allman – play-by-play announcer
Respected Australian sports broadcaster, known as “The Voice of American Football in Australia”
Ashley Docking – on-air analyst
Award-winning Canadian broadcaster and ex-national (American) football champion
Nykolas Pierre-Masse – sideline reporter
CFL broadcast journalist
Nausicaa Dell’Orto – sideline reporter
Emmy nominated, former captain of the Italian national flag football team
Live coverage will be supported by a new magazine show – Flag Focus – created by the team behind the popular WhatTheFlag?! vodcast. Episodes will drop nightly during the Championships on the IFAF YouTube channel (@IFAFMedia).
Leander Monbaliu, Managing Partner at LaSource, media, distribution and content agency to IFAF said: “Reaching a potential audience of 180 million is a real step change for flag football, and the momentum behind the sport is clear. Working with IFAF in its road to LA28, we have built a distribution footprint that meets fans where they are, from a global home on DAZN to every group game and quarter finals live and free on the new @IFAFMedia YouTube channel, backed by broadcasters in key markets around the world. With the road to LA28 now under way, this is the strongest media platform the sport has had - and there is much more to come."
Kenny Bello, Co-Founder of WhatTheFlag?!, official Media Partner of IFAF World Flag 26, said: “We are pleased to be working together with IFAF around the 2026 Flag Football World Championships to power Flag Focus, a new daily show bringing fans closer to the action, stories and personalities surrounding the Championships. The collaboration marks an exciting step for both organisations, and we look forward to building on the partnership and exploring further opportunities to showcase and grow flag football globally.”
The IFAF Flag Football World Championships will take place at the custom-built Düsseldorf-Garath Flag Football Complex in Germany, with more than 20,000 spectators expected and almost 200 accredited media from around the world. A total of 32 teams - 16 men’s, 16 women’s - have qualified to participate via the 2025 IFAF Continental Championships. In addition to the World Championship titles, four tickets to the Olympic Games LA28 will be awarded to the two top-placed men’s and women’s teams, excluding the pre-qualified host teams from USA.
About IFAF:
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body for the sport of American football and is responsible for all regulatory, competition, performance and development aspects of the game on a global level. Fully recognized by the International Olympic Committee and a signatory to the WADA Code, IFAF oversees a network of 80 national federations across five continents.