Cineplex World Cup deal brings 169 theatres to 104-match coverage
Cineplex World Cup screenings are moving into 169 movie theatres across Canada after Cineplex and Bell Media’s TSN announced select FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will play live in participating locations. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 15, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST, giving fans a fixed-price option at $9.99 in theatre.
TSN’s 104-match slate
104 tournament matches are available on TSN and RDS, with coverage also on CTV and streaming through Crave via the live CTV channel. Cineplex’s theatre plan adds a second viewing lane for a tournament that is already spread across television and streaming, and it does so with a price that stays below the cost of a typical night out once online fees and taxes are added.
The theatre tickets will be sold online at Cineplex.com and in person at participating theatres’ box offices. Online purchases carry a booking fee of up to $1.50, and all prices are subject to taxes. For a viewer choosing theatre over home viewing, the math is simple: the base seat is $9.99, but the final checkout total depends on how the ticket is bought.
Provincial rollout
Participating theatres are spread across Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Cineplex said tickets will be released in stages, starting with select group stage matches, with additional games added closer to match day in further staged releases.
That staged rollout matters because it limits the first wave of inventory to a narrow slice of the tournament, which keeps demand concentrated around the opening group matches rather than opening the full calendar at once. Cineplex is also pairing the screenings with fan-favourite concessions and alcoholic beverages, where provincial liquor laws allow it, turning the theatre run into a more traditional event-night purchase than a standard movie ticket.
May 15 on sale
The first practical step for buyers is the May 15, 2026 sale window at 3:00 p.m. EST. Cineplex World Cup tickets will be available both online and at box offices, and the first batch will cover only select group stage matches before the later staged releases widen the schedule.
For Cineplex, the announcement uses its theatre network as live-event real estate; for viewers, it creates a cheaper public screening option in multiple provinces for matches that are otherwise already available on television, streaming, and sports channels. The move works best for fans who want a shared crowd setting without paying a premium for it.
