New York City’s state-of-the-art public phone system will consist of free WiFi hotspots and will stream World Cup matches on hundreds of 55-inch screens. Let’s start with the American game.
See the FIFA World Cup wrapped MTA trains
New York’s subways have been wrapped in the colors of both countries participating in the World Cup.
NEW YORK – As soccer continues to grow in popularity in the United States, it will be easier than ever to watch the game in the 2026 World Cup’s de facto host city.
USA TODAY reported that New York City’s modernized public phone system, which is made up of free Wi-Fi spots, will be streaming World Cup games on hundreds of 55-inch screens every Friday starting June 19th. The kiosk, called LinkNYC, will stream New York Knicks games during the championship, marking the first time the system has broadcast live sports, according to City Hall.
Free soccer viewing at 200 LinkNYC locations in New York City begins Friday with the game against the USA.
“New York is both a city of stadiums and a city of sidewalks, and this summer’s World Cup belongs to both cities,” Mayor Zoran Mamdani, a lifelong soccer fan, said in a statement. “Whether you’re walking home from work, meeting friends, or just heading to the warehouse, it gives you the opportunity to stop, look, and share moments that speak directly to great football moments.”
City Hall said viewing will take place every Friday game day and will conclude with a screening of the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in suburban New Jersey. More than 2,200 LinkNYC kiosks will serve as state-of-the-art phone booths with free WiFi and calling, and approximately 10% of the systems will broadcast games in all five boroughs.
In early June, dozens of LinkNYC kiosks streamed Game 4 between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Game 5, the Knicks’ winning away game in Texas, was streamed from 130 kiosks in five boroughs.
In the country’s largest city, watching sports in public spaces rather than watching them alone at home is becoming more popular.
During the NBA playoffs, residents propped up televisions and projectors on porches and milk crates so passersby could watch their Knicks. Fans flocked to bars and restaurants and peered into screens indoors. And of course, who can forget the wild game party outside the Knicks’ home base at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan?
Soccer may not yet carry much weight in New York, a city famous for basketball, but games aired on LinkNYC using Telemundo’s broadcasts could draw even more viewers to the global sport creeping into the United States, especially in the five boroughs. (In contrast, the 2022 World Cup finals had 2.9 billion viewers, and the Knicks’ Game 5 had a peak audience of 33 million viewers.)
City Hall announced that hundreds of restaurants will offer $26 food and beverage deals to attend 2026 World Cup games, along with a free World Cup fan zone and 24/7 pick-up soccer fields, the city’s World Cup czar Maya Handa told USA TODAY. Kiosks are another way to make tournaments more accessible.
“This effort is part of bringing the world to New York City and bringing New York City to the world,” she said.
LinkNYC’s screens provide a practical medium for anyone to watch, although they do not have audio (the kiosks have toll-free calling capabilities and provide audio, but the displays on either side of the booth do not).
LinkNYC was founded in 2016 when former Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to bring antiquated phone booths into the age of smartphones and the internet. We now offer free WiFi, a tablet for viewing city maps, a USB port for charging, and free domestic calls. LinkNYC, operated by CityBridge, a joint venture between Intersection Media and Boldyn Networks, says its Wi-Fi, which officials tout as the world’s fastest free public Wi-Fi, has served more than 21 million residents and visitors.
Kiosks have also sought to address more pressing needs. During recent, dangerously hot and humid temperatures, LinkNYC’s screen displayed the nearest public cooling center.
Now you can watch on a screen bigger than your phone while waiting for a bus or taxi or running errands.
“That’s kind of what we want, it’s just spontaneity,” LinkNYC CEO Nick Colvin said in an interview. The goal is to bring surprise and joy to people’s days while elevating big moments for New York City, he added.
This is also a big deal for the U.S. men’s team, which enjoys heated group play. The Australia vs. Australia match in Seattle begins at 3:00 PM ET.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact him via email: emcuevas1@usatoday.com Or with Signal on emcuevas.01.
