The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over. But US broadcasters ESPN, FOX, and even streaming giant Netflix are seeking to seize the momentum from the last competition to secure the rights for the 2030 World Cup.
ESPN is expected to challenge FOX for broadcasting rights for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which are expected to demand a fee of up to $1bn.
Following the 2026 FIFA World Cup – which was co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico – ESPN is reportedly seeking to acquire US broadcasting rights for the world’s most-viewed sporting competition.
The last time that ESPN held broadcast rights in the US for the World Cup was from 1998 – 2014.
The last three World Cups (2018, 2022 and 2026) have all been broadcast by FOX and Telemundo – for Spanish-speaking audiences. FOX paid out $485m for the most recent World Cup co-hosted in the US.
With the next World Cup due to take place across three host nations – Spain, Portugal and Morocco – the bidding process for the media rights cycle (2026-2030) is expected to start at $1bn.
Front Office Sports revealed that FIFA could package both English and Spanish-speaking media rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups with a starting price of $3bn, according to EVP of Oktagon, Daniel Cohen.
Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN President, recently spoke at the CNBC Sport Boardroom Game Plan Summit during the lead-up to the World Cup final, in which he praised FOX’s coverage of the competition while highlighting ESPN’s past relationship with the World Cup.
“I’ve been very impressed with the way FOX has covered (World Cup),” said Pitaro. “From a live game production perspective, from a studio perspective, they’ve done an outstanding job. I don’t know, honestly, how they could have done better with the product.
“We had the World Cup for two decades and it was a big part of ESPN’s identity and DNA.”
Netflix to enter the race
While ESPN and FOX are expected to be at the forefront of the bidding war expected to ensue for the 2030 World Cup US broadcast rights, Netflix may also be interested.
Speaking to Front Office Sports, Elle Duncan, a Sports Anchor for Netflix, said that the World Cup would be the “perfect type of sporting event that would interest Netflix”.
She continued: “Netflix is famously global, with 330 million households across the world. The World Cup is a global event. It’s a special event that lasts for one month that captures everyone’s attention. It’s why they were so interested in getting the women’s World Cup.”
Netflix has already secured the US broadcasting rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups. The streaming platform has significantly increased its portfolio of live sporting content, but primarily focused on sporting events that last a single-day or several weeks to avoid paying for lengthy, year-long broadcasting rights.
This strategy has seen Netflix broadcast two NFL Christmas Day fixtures in the last two years, as opposed to the multi-year broadcasting rights which would cost the company significantly more but with weekly games to broadcast.
With the World Cup typically lasting up to one month from the opening game to the final, this would line up with Netflix’s current live sports broadcasting strategy.
The 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup competitions may serve as a litmus test for any future plans to bid for the men’s World Cup broadcasting rights.
As Duncan highlighted, Netflix is a global broadcaster which is available in over 190 countries. This would enable Netflix to acquire local broadcasting rights in a majority of qualified World Cup countries.
