VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) announced that its Bangladesh-based digital operator, Banglalink, has acquired the streaming rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving football fans across the country access to all 104 tournament matches through its digital entertainment platform, Toffee.
The agreement strengthens Banglalink’s position in Bangladesh’s rapidly growing digital entertainment market while expanding the appeal of Toffee, which has emerged as one of the country’s leading destinations for live sports content.
The World Cup represents one of the most-watched sporting events globally, and Bangladesh has demonstrated significant interest in international football tournaments. During the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, Toffee recorded an audience exceeding 15 million viewers, highlighting the platform’s ability to handle large-scale live streaming events and attract substantial user engagement.
Under the new arrangement, viewers will be able to stream every match of the 2026 tournament across multiple devices, including smartphones, laptops, and connected televisions. Access will be available through subscription offerings integrated into Banglalink’s Toffee platform, the MyBL Super App, and RYZE, the company’s digital lifestyle platform targeting younger consumers.
Banglalink also plans to offer tournament access through selected mobile data packages, while customers using competing mobile networks will have the option to subscribe directly through Toffee. Additional subscription channels will be available through the company’s nationwide retail and recharge network.
Kaan Terzioğlu, Group Chief Executive Officer of VEON, said the World Cup represents an opportunity to use digital platforms to connect customers with premium content while reinforcing the company’s broader digital operator strategy. He emphasized the role of technology in delivering experiences that resonate with consumers across VEON’s markets.
Banglalink Chief Executive Officer Johan Buse described the acquisition as an important milestone for football fans in Bangladesh and said the company intends to build on its track record of delivering large-scale live events through Toffee. He added that the agreement supports Banglalink’s objective of expanding customer engagement through digital services and entertainment offerings.
From an investment perspective, the World Cup rights could provide Banglalink with a meaningful boost in user acquisition, customer engagement, and digital service revenues. Premium sports content has increasingly become a driver of subscription growth for telecommunications operators seeking to diversify beyond traditional connectivity services.
The move also aligns with VEON’s broader strategy of expanding digital ecosystems across its operating markets by combining telecommunications infrastructure with entertainment, financial services, and digital lifestyle offerings. Successful monetization of the tournament could further strengthen Toffee’s market position and support long-term growth in Bangladesh’s digital content sector.