Jul 19, Kathmandu - Nepal Television's 'NTV Plus' will broadcast the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain for free, announced Communications and Information Minister Bikram Thapil. The match is scheduled for tonight at 12:45 AM.

Minister Thapil shared the news on Facebook, stating, "FIFA World Cup 2026 tonight and tomorrow night’s third-place and final matches will be broadcast live and free on NTV Plus."

According to the announcement, the third-place match between England and France, which took place on Sunday morning, was also streamed live on NTV Plus. This marks a departure from previous years when World Cup matches were paid broadcasts via Himalayan Sports and Digo apps.

Historically, Nepal’s World Cup coverage was accessible through paid subscriptions on Himalayan Sports (Rs. 999 for a subscription) and Digo app (Rs. 500 on mobile and Rs. 1000 on desktop), after acquiring rights from FIFA through bidding processes managed by Aspro Media.

Questions arose about how the final matches became available for free on the government broadcaster, given the initial paid arrangements. We discussed this with Minister Thapil, who explained the sequence of events.

He clarified that although the government initially sought free broadcasts, the rights were not secured through FIFA bidding for the public broadcaster. Instead, the government approached Aspro Media, which holds the FIFA rights, requesting them to facilitate free transmission on Nepal Television for the last two matches.

"Following the government’s request, an agreement was reached between Aspro Media and Nepal Television, enabling live broadcast for free," Thapil stated. He added that FIFA permitted Nepal Television to air the final match late on Sunday night.

This development highlights a significant shift in how major sporting events are viewed in Nepal, with the government working to ensure free access to the FIFA World Cup final for the public.