The two Norwegian public broadcasters, NRK and TV 2, have been sharing sports rights for some time. They have now announced a new partnership that includes changes to the distribution of the 2025 Ski World Championships and the 2026 Football World Cup. Under the new agreement, NRK will broadcast an increased number of matches from the 2026 Men's Football World Cup, while TV 2 has secured the TV rights to the final three days of the Ski World Championships in Trondheim in 2025.
“This agreement came about as part of a larger discussion and ensures an even distribution of the football World Cup in 2026. This is a good agreement for NRK. We believe that it will be very good for the audience that both NRK and TV 2 are investing heavily in these two championships,” commented Runar Østmo, Head of rights at NRK.
Vegard Jansen Hagen, Sports Editor at TV 2, is also satisfied with the new agreement: "The collaboration between TV 2 and NRK on sports rights is positive and something we have substantial experience with. Norway is a small country, and cooperation is essential in a competitive rights market. The Ski World Championships in Trondheim and the Football World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico are major events that viewers hold high expectations for. Now, both NRK and we must strive to deliver the best possible experience for viewers across Norway."
Under the new agreement, NRK has secured the rights to broadcast half of the matches from the 2026 Football World Cup. The final allocation of matches between NRK and TV 2 will be determined after the match schedule is released in December 2025. The Ski World Championships in Trondheim will begin on February 26 next year. NRK will broadcast the events on NRK1 and NRK TV until TV 2 takes over. In addition, the public can listen to all competitions from Trondheim on NRK Radio.