VEON's Banglalink Demonstrates the Power of Digital Ecosystems with Record FIFA World Cup 2026 Engagement

Banglalink's digital entertainment platform recorded 2 billion live watch minutes and 20 million monthly active users during the 39-day tournament, as premium sports streaming reaches new heights in Bangladesh

Dubai and Dhaka, July 27, 2026 – VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator, today announced that Toffee, the digital entertainment platform of its Bangladesh operator Banglalink, has concluded its live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, delivering the country's largest paid digital streaming experience for football fans. 

During the 39-day tournament, Toffee delivered the FIFA World Cup 2026 to fans across Bangladesh, generating 200 million views and 2 billion live watch minutes. The platform recorded 20 million Monthly Active Users (MAU), while FIFA live channels drew 6.6 million unique viewers, each watching an average of 300 minutes (5 hours). 

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 on Toffee demonstrates how digital operators can transform connectivity into meaningful digital experiences that bring millions of people together,” said Kaan Terzioğlu, VEON Group CEO. “The strong adoption of premium sports streaming reflects the rapid evolution of Bangladesh's digital ecosystem. We remain committed to investing in digital infrastructure, platforms, and services that enrich people's lives while creating sustainable value for our customers, partners, and shareholders.” 

Toffee's infrastructure handled a peak concurrency of 1.5 million viewers, delivering a seamless viewing experience through the tournament's biggest knockout matches and the grand finale. 

The Final was the tournament's highest-engagement match, recording 180 million watch minutes, 1.5 million unique viewers, and more than 8 million views on Toffee. Notably, 23% of viewers watched on connected TVs, underscoring Toffee's growing role as a shared, living-room entertainment platform. 

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a defining milestone for Toffee, reflecting the dedication of our teams and the trust our customers place in us,” said Johan Buse, CEO of Banglalink. “The strong response from both users and advertisers reinforces Toffee's position as Bangladesh's leading digital entertainment platform and encourages us to continue delivering digital experiences that customers choose and trust.” 

The tournament also proved to be one of Bangladesh's largest digital advertising opportunities. More than 25 brands partnered with Toffee, with roughly 80% of inventory sold before kick-off — a sign of strong advertiser demand. Premium ad placements delivered billions of impressions, reinforcing Toffee's position as a leading digital advertising platform in Bangladesh.

About VEON 
VEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to over 150 million connectivity and more than 228 million digital users. Operating across five countries that are home to more than 6% of the world's population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is listed on NASDAQ. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com. 

About Banglalink 
Banglalink is one of the leading digital communications service providers in Bangladesh, working to unlock new opportunities for its customers as they navigate the digital world. Driven by the vision of transforming lives through technology, Banglalink also strives to transform into a future-ready service provider capable of catering to the demands of the new digital era. It is a subsidiary of VEON Ltd - a Nasdaq listed connectivity provider headquartered in Dubai. For more information, visit: www.banglalink.net 

About Toffee 
Toffee is an operator-agnostic digital streaming platform launched by Banglalink in 2019. Toffee provides a superior viewing experience with its simple navigation and is available to everyone in Bangladesh. Toffee is app and web-based, available for Android smartphones, Android TVs, and iOS devices. With the highest number of national and international live television channels, Toffee regularly broadcasts global sporting events LIVE and also offers a large collection of video-on-demand and user-generated content for its viewers. For more information visit: https://toffeelive.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements 
This release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including in relation to VEON's digital operator strategy.

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