New York City's modernized pay-phone system, comprised of free WiFi spots, is set to have hundreds of 55-inch screens streaming World Cup games. It starts with the United States' game.Show Caption
NEW YORK − As soccer booms in popularity in the United States, it’s set to be easier to watch than ever in the 2026 World Cup's de facto host city. USA TODAY has learned New York City's modernized pay-phone system, comprised of free WiFi spots, will have hundreds of 55-inch screens streaming World Cup games every Friday, beginning June 19. The kiosks, called LinkNYC, streamed the New York Knicks during their championship run, which was the first time the system broadcasted live sports, City Hall said.New York City’s free soccer viewings, across 200 LinkNYC locations, begin with the United States’ match on Friday.“New York is a city of sidewalks as much as it is stadiums, and this summer the World Cup belongs to both," Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a lifelong soccer fan, said in a statement. "Whether you’re heading home from work, meeting friends, or just walking to the bodega, you’ll have a chance to stop, watch and share in a moment that brings incredible soccer moments directly to you.” The viewings will run every Friday match day and end with showing the Sunday, July 19, World Cup final, played at MetLife Stadium, in nearby New Jersey, City Hall said. With over 2,200 LinkNYC kiosks acting as modernized phone booths with free WiFi and calling, about 10% of the system will show 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, when the Knicks secured the championship during an away game in Texas, was streamed on 130 kiosks across the five boroughs.Watching sports in public, rather than home alone, is ubiquitous in the nation’s largest city. During the NBA playoffs, residents propped up televisions or projectors on porches or milk crates to allow passersby to view their Knicks. Fans crowded around bars and restaurants, peeking at screens indoors. And of course, who could forget frenzied watch parties outside the Knicks’ home in Madison Square Garden, in Manhattan?While soccer may not yet carry the same weight in New York, a storied basketball town, the games shown on LinkNYC using Telemundo’s broadcast may draw more viewers into the global sport that is creeping stateside, especially in the five boroughs. (By contrast, the World Cup final viewership in 2022 was 2.9 billion, compared to the Knicks' Game 5 peaking at a record 33 million.)City Hall earlier announced hundreds of restaurants are giving $26 dining deals for the 2026 World Cup to watch matches, along with free World Cup fan zones and 24/7 pickup soccer fields, Maya Handa, the city’s World Cup czar, told USA TODAY. The kiosks are another way to make the tournament more accessible.“This initiative is a part of bringing the world to New York City, and bringing New York City to the world,” she said.The LinkNYC screens provide a utilitarian medium for anyone to watch, albeit without sound (the kiosks have free calling capabilities, which provide audio, but not the displays on either side of the booth).LinkNYC launched in 2016, when former Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to bring the antiquated phone booths into the smart phone and internet era. They now offer free WiFi, tablets to view city maps, USB ports for charging and free domestic calls. The’ve served over 21 million residents and visitors in what officials tout as the world’s fastest free public WiFi, according to LinkNYC, which is operated by CityBridge, a joint venture from Intersection Media and Boldyn Networks.The kiosks also have sought to address more dire needs. During dangerously hot, humid temperatures recently, LinkNYC screens showed nearest public cooling centers.Now, people can watch on a screen larger than a phone while they’re waiting for a bus or a taxi, or while running errands.“That’s kind of what we’re hoping for, is just spontaneity,” Nick Colvin, CEO of LinkNYC, said in an interview. The goal, he added, is to bring surprise and delight to people’s days, while elevating a huge moment for New York City.It’s also big for the United States’ men’s team, which looks red-hot in group play. Their game in Seattle against Australia starts at 3 p.m. EST.Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
