Netflix, Disney, YouTube prepare to bid
Folarin Balogun of the United States shoots during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between the United States and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
MB Media | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
As the FIFA World Cup reaches massive audiences around the world, media companies are preparing to pay billions of dollars for the rights to the next two men’s tournaments.
netflix, Disney And alphabet All of YouTube is into the challenge Fox For the USA’s broadcasting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, according to sources familiar with the matter.
AmazonCurrently owning the rights to the UEFA Champions League in the United Kingdom and Apple, The company that owns the global MLS rights could also enter the mix, further fueling a potential bidding war for the rights.
Talks between FIFA and potential media partners are expected to begin within the next three months, according to sources familiar with the matter.
During preliminary talks that began earlier this year, FIFA warned media companies that US rights in English and Spanish would be sold together, rather than separately as in previous Cups, including 2026, according to the sources, who asked not to be named because the talks were private.
Fox paid $485 million for English-language rights to the tournament, which is being held in North American cities this year. accordingly Athletic. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo paid $600 million for Spanish-language rights, according to people familiar with the matter.
Executives at various media companies have budgeted between $1.5 billion and $2 billion for U.S. rights to participate in each interlingual tournament, sources said. The last time FIFA negotiated a deal with Fox and Telemundo, It was in 2011. four years laterFIFA extended the agreement until 2026.
FIFA will not sell global rights to the tournament because different countries have regulations requiring the World Cup to be sold over-the-air. But with huge viewing and advertising opportunities, the US’s rights will be envied.
According to sources familiar, Netflix, Disney and YouTube see the World Cup as a big potential boost for their streaming services.
Disney may also broadcast games on ESPN and ABC; This could attract FIFA’s attention as the broadcast on Fox has received strong ratings this year. FIFA has already shown interest in Netflix and awarded it. Women’s World Cup In 2027 and 2031.
Spokespeople for FIFA, Netflix, YouTube and Disney declined to comment.
I sell single package
Selling the English and Spanish language rights as a single package could help FIFA secure a higher price and increase bids from eager media partners seeking high ratings. Total TV viewers watching U.S. games in recent weeks have rivaled those of the NFL playoffs.
It could also help alleviate some of the tensions between rival media companies broadcasting the same games.
Telemundo throttled Fox’s World Cup reach, claiming that an unknown English-speaking population was watching games in the U.S. via the Peacock streaming service, despite purchasing Spanish-only rights through 2026.
While Peacock charges just $10.99 a month, Fox’s streaming service, Fox One, costs $19.99 on the moon.
Telemundo also signed Owen Wilson, an actor who is neither Latino nor known for speaking Spanish. spokesman For the World Cup to be broadcast in Spanish, it blurs the boundaries for both English- and Spanish-speaking American viewers.
If the English- and Spanish-language games are sold together, NBCUniversal is unlikely to compete for the rights for close to $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. This would eliminate Telemundo as a future partner.
comcast Last month, it announced plans to spin off NBCUniversal to focus more on its future financing from investors. NBCU already pays billions of dollars a year for the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football” and NBA basketball. An NBC spokesman declined to comment.
Leaving US time zones
Both the 2030 and 2034 World Cups are in less attractive time slots for U.S. TV viewers than this year’s World Cup, which is being held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
The 2030 World Cup will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, which are five or six hours apart from the U.S. Eastern time zone. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup and the time difference is even more dramatic.
Still, high ratings for this year’s World Cup will likely increase the price significantly.
Last week’s US victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina became the most-watched football broadcast in English-language history; 26 million viewersAccording to Fox Sports.
Another 9.8 million viewers watched the game on Telemundo or Peacock.
Ratings for Monday night’s game between the USA and Belgium will likely be even higher. Although Nielsen ratings were not released, AdImpact estimates that the combined English and Spanish viewers for the US-Belgium game averaged 47.9 million viewers.
Even games outside the US attracted large audiences. More than 11 million viewers watched the Portugal-Croatia match on Fox, making it the most-watched non-final match in U.S. history not involving the U.S. team.
