FOX Sports and Sesame Street Launch Landmark Collaboration for FIFA World Cup 2026™

FOX Sports has announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with the iconic children’s brand Sesame Street to integrate beloved characters into the network’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Launched to mark the 30-day countdown to the tournament, the collaboration aims to engage families and younger audiences through specialised educational and entertainment segments.

Programming and Character Segments

Continuing through the tournament from June 11 to July 19, fan-favorite Muppets will appear in dedicated segments across FOX Sports programming.

Key features of the collaboration include:

• “The Count Down”: Count von Count utilises his signature style to break down major tournament statistics.
• “Trash Talk”: Oscar the Grouch hosts a satirical highlight show focusing on “grouchy” moments occurring on and off the pitch.
• “Broadcaster Bootcamp”: Grover partners with professional FOX Sports broadcasters to learn the technical nuances of calling elite soccer matches.
• Character Appearances: Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird will feature in additional content segments throughout the summer.

Strategic and Educational Goals

The collaboration aligns with Sesame Workshop’s nonprofit mission to help children grow “smarter, stronger, and kinder” by utilizing the World Cup as a massive cultural touchpoint for engagement.

Commenting on the collaboration, FOX Sports vice president of production, Zac Kenworthy, said: “By collaborating with Sesame Street, we’re adding a fun and educational element that brings families together around the FOX Sports viewing experience.”

Samantha Kennedy of Sesame Workshop noted that the partnership provides a powerful opportunity to reach families in “new and unexpected ways”.

Broadcaster and Tournament Scope

As the official English-language home for the tournament in the U.S., FOX Sports will present all 104 matches live:

• Broadcast Distribution: 70 matches will air on FOX, with the remaining 34 on FS1.
• Streaming: Every match will be available in 4K live and on-demand on FOX One.
• Historic Scale: The 2026 edition is the first to be hosted by three nations, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams.

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