All Whites opening World Cup match delivers TVNZ+ its largest streaming day ever

The All Whites gripping opening FIFA World Cup match against Iran, which ended in a 2-2 draw, saw TVNZ+ achieve record streaming numbers.

TVNZ+ enjoyed its largest streaming day ever on 16 June, with almost 2.3 million streams on the platform across the 24-hour period.

The nail-biter match generated 555,000 streams on TVNZ+, while over on TVNZ 1 465,000 people watched the game, placing it in the top five highest-rated football matches on broadcast television since 2010.

The world cup is being hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico and the 2026 tournament sees the All Whites compete for the first time since 2010.

When TVNZ secured the rights last year to one of the biggest sporting events in the world, it was described as a "game-changer" for the broadcaster.

Hand in hand with that was the announcement of a new pay TV service, which chief executive officer (CEO) Jodi O'Donnell said was a significant milestone.

"Launching a pay product means TVNZ can competitively bid for and acquire more sports and serve it to audiences in the ways they want to watch it - whether it's every moment live, or free-to-air on our channels," O'Donnell said at the time.

Recently TVNZ also started offering UFC (mixed martial arts), with the major main card events available behind a pay wall.

The crown entity is offering access to the FIFA World Cup 2026 through a mix of free-to-air coverage and a premium digital pass.

Across the tournament 22 matches are free-to-air, with 11 on TVNZ 1 including every All Whites game and an additional 11 on TVNZ+.

All 104 matches of the tournament are available live and on demand via a one-off purchase of a TVNZ+ event pass for $44.95.

O'Donnell said recording their biggest streaming day ever so early in the tournament was a huge moment.

"It reflects the growing role TVNZ+ is playing in bringing major live events to audiences across Aotearoa," O'Donnell said.

"New Zealand has become a nation of football lovers, and the size of the audience watching the All Whites live on TVNZ shows just how passionately we back our team. Making every All Whites match at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ available live and free-to-view was important to us - every Kiwi should have the opportunity to support our players on the world's biggest stage."

The match, which saw Elijah Just make history as the first New Zealander to score two goals in a World Cup game, became the highest reaching individual sports event on TVNZ+.

The previous holder of this streaming record was the UEFA EUROS Final in 2024, further showcasing Aotearoa's love for football.

On Monday, the All Whites continue their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign when they take on Egypt in their second group stage match, with a 1pm kick off.