The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered a major commercial boost to Deutsche Telekom’s MagentaTV platform in Germany, with the broadcaster adding around one million new customers after showing every match of the tournament.
The German telecoms giant said football played an important role in its strong performance during the first half of 2026. Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges said the company continued to see strong momentum across its business, with all divisions delivering growth.
Deutsche Telekom reported second-quarter revenue of €29.9 billion, up 4.4% year-on-year. Adjusted net income increased 11.1% to €2.8 billion, while free cash flow rose 3.1% to €5 billion.
World Cup drives customer growth
MagentaTV secured the rights to broadcast all matches of the 2026 World Cup in Germany, turning the tournament into a significant customer acquisition opportunity.
The platform gained approximately one million new customers during the World Cup, highlighting the ability of major sporting events to drive subscription growth for streaming and pay-TV services.
The impact of the tournament also extended beyond MagentaTV. Deutsche Telekom said its Germany operating segment generated organic revenue growth of 3.7% year-on-year in the second quarter, reaching €6.5 billion.
The company said the World Cup had a positive impact on the performance.
Fiber growth continues
While the number of Deutsche Telekom broadband customers declined by 20,000 during the quarter, the company added 161,000 new customers using pure fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.
FTTH adoption continues to increase, with 17.5% of the 13.6 million households currently able to access Deutsche Telekom’s fiber network now using the technology.
The figures underline the broader strategy of combining connectivity services with premium sports content as telecom operators compete for customers in an increasingly crowded streaming and broadband market.
Sports rights become a customer acquisition tool
MagentaTV’s World Cup performance provides another example of how major sports rights can generate value beyond traditional advertising and viewing metrics.
By combining exclusive or premium sports content with its telecommunications offering, Deutsche Telekom was able to use one of the world’s biggest sporting events as a direct customer acquisition and retention tool.
The one million new customers gained during the tournament also demonstrate the commercial leverage that global sports events can provide to broadcasters and technology companies with the right distribution strategy.