The World Cup performance so far has been extremely positive for rights holder MagentaTV. Deutsche Telekom's television and streaming platform is looking back on the most successful week in its own history. After the first seven days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Telekom is reporting record numbers in viewership, social media, and mobile data usage. More than 36 million viewers followed the group stage matches on the three MagentaTV channels during this period.
France vs. Senegal as Top Match So Far
At its peak, the exclusive match between France and Senegal reached 6.5 million viewers, setting a new record for MagentaTV. It should be noted here that MagentaTV does not report average ratings like AGF Videoforschung does for TV channels, but rather peak values, which are naturally higher.
The group stage match between the Netherlands and Japan, shown exclusively on MagentaTV, also reached four million viewers at its peak. The German national team's first group match against Curaçao, shown simultaneously on Das Erste, still brought MagentaTV 3.3 million viewers. On Das Erste, an average of 23.43 million people tuned in at the same time.
Subscriptions More Than Doubled Compared to European Championship
According to Telekom, subscription numbers have reached an all-time high. Compared to the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, the number of subscriptions has more than doubled.
Arnim Butzen, Telekom's TV chief, puts the figures in perspective: "All in all, this was the best week we've ever had at MagentaTV. The World Cup exceeds our expectations in every respect." Butzen particularly praises the "comprehensive coverage with our outstanding on-air team on location and in the World Cup studio, and our Breakfast Club, with which we've definitely struck a chord".
Records Online and on Social Media
The numbers for Telekom's mobile network during Germany's World Cup start are also impressive. During the opening match of the German team against Curaçao, data throughput peaked at 2,700 gigabits per second. For MagentaTV, a new all-time high of 14,700 gigabits per second was also reached during the match, according to the statement.
Telekom is also reporting record numbers on social media. Already in the first few days, more than 300 million impressions were generated through the company's own channels. The focus was on entertaining clips with MagentaTV experts and well-known football personalities Thomas Müller (36), Jürgen Klopp (59), and Mats Hummels (37), as well as the sporting highlights of the matches so far.
Some Round of 16 and Quarterfinal Matches Also Exclusive on MagentaTV
MagentaTV's exclusive rights package includes not only selected group stage matches but also some knockout matches. These include six Round of 32 matches, three Round of 16 matches, two quarterfinals, as well as the third-place match. In total, the provider shows all 104 matches live, 44 of them exclusively.
