Ministerial concerns have been raised over FIFA’s partnership with Stats Perform to grant bookmakers the rights to livestream World Cup matches.

The matter was brought to DCMS Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, and Creative Industries Minister, Ian Murray, during a session on the department’s policy and governance agenda for 2026.

The hearing spanned multiple topics under DCMS oversight, including intellectual property and AI, funding of cultural events, and measures to improve sports facilities and social mobility through sport.

Concerns over FIFA’s partnership were raised by Labour MP Alex Ballinger (Halesowen), who said: “This week we have seen FIFA announce a four-year partnership allowing gambling platforms to stream World Cup games for the first time.”

Ballinger did not name Stats Perform as FIFA’s media rights partner but concluded his question by asking DCMS:

“The government has confirmed that there is clear evidence linking advertising to gambling harms. Since the Premier League has agreed to remove gambling sponsorships from the front of shirts, does the Minister believe that the streaming of World Cup games is a step in the wrong direction?”

On 12 January, FIFA announced that it had expanded its exclusive media rights deal with Stats Perform, naming the company its “official global betting data partner.”

The scope of the partnership allows Stats Perform to distribute streaming rights for the 2026 and 2027 FIFA World Cups (men’s and women’s), as well as other sanctioned tournaments — including futsal and youth competitions — through to 2029.

FIFA stated that the partnership aims to expand unrestricted coverage of its tournaments to newly regulated betting markets, including 40 US states where sports wagering is now legal.

Stats Perform will distribute the FIFA media rights package to exclusive partners across Europe, North America, Latin America, and Africa, with FIFA describing the collaboration as focused on delivering official products for the benefit of fans and enhancing innovation for global audiences.

Betting streams questioned

Upon its announcement, the deal came under ethical scrutiny, as critics argued that FIFA may be breaching its own Code of Ethics, which explicitly prohibits players, officials, and agents from engaging “directly or indirectly” in any betting-related activity.

Questions arise on broadcasting rights and territorial restrictions,  particularly in the UK, as World Cups are designated as “white ribbon events” protected events under the Broadcasting Act 1996.

The White Ribbon status ensures that all World Cup matches must be shown live and free-to-air on major public channels such as the BBC and ITV, preventing pay-TV networks or betting platforms from acquiring exclusive live transmission or streaming rights.

The FIFA and Stats Perform package may conflict with Ofcom’s listed-events regime, which explicitly extends protection to digital and online feeds.

Neither FIFA nor Stats Perform have clarified how the new betting-streaming package will be implemented across European markets, where each country operates its own broadcasting and competition rules. 

This could prove complex in jurisdictions with similar “protected event” frameworks — including France, Germany, and Italy — which restrict or prohibit exclusive digital coverage of major sporting tournaments.

FIFA bas been warned that iCommercial rights model and national broadcasting obligations may emerge as the governing body seeks to monetise official data and streams while maintaining compliance with Europe’s fragmented media-rights landscape.

Yesterday, Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray thanked Ballinger for raising the issue but explained that he could not answer the concerns directly, as they required broader consideration by DCMS and the Sports Minister.

Murray added simply that: “The World Cup should be about bringing people together. I thank my colleague for raising his concerns.”