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The race to sign up sports-starved television viewers continues to heat up. Fans of the “beautiful game” are the latest price.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming, Comcast (CMCSA) on Wednesday introduced a “World Soccer Ticket” bundle for Xfinity customers. The entertainment, cable, and internet conglomerate said subscribers can watch games from leagues including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, LALIGA, Liga MX—and every game of the World Cup itself.
It marks the latest new product in live sports coverage, which many companies see as a proven way to attract paying subscribers eager for fresh content. The Walt Disney Co. (DIS) will be launching a direct-to-consumer product, simply called “ESPN,” on Aug. 21 for about $30 a month. Paramount Skydance (PSKY) recently agreed to pay billions to become the exclusive home of the UFC.
Shares of TKO Group (TKO) surged over 7% Monday morning after when the owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) franchise and Paramount Skydance (PSKY) agreed to make the media giant the exclusive home of the UFC.
Xfinity’s bundle, which costs $85 a month, includes nearly 60 channels and a subscription to Peacock Premium, Comcast said. It also includes coverage of other sports and leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA football and basketball.
Shares of Comcast, which late last month added more phone subscribers and lost fewer internet and cable customers than analysts had forecast for the second quarter, were 2% higher in recent trading but remain about 13% lower this year.
The marketplace for sports viewers has included both new entrants and changes in direction. Disney, FOX (FOX), and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) killed off a joint sports streaming service, Venu, before it could debut earlier this year.