Netflix, Disney and YouTube eye FIFA World Cup U.S. rights in possible $2 billion deal

• FIFA will bundle English- and Spanish-language U.S. rights together rather than selling separately, likely driving the total price to $1.5-2 billion per tournament compared to combined $1.085 billion for 2026 rights
• The 2026 World Cup has delivered historic ratings, with the U.S.-Bosnia match becoming the most-watched English-language soccer telecast ever at 38 million viewers, and the U.S.-Belgium game reaching an estimated 47.9 million combined viewers
• NBCUniversal's Telemundo is unlikely to compete at the $2 billion price point following Comcast's spin-out announcement, while streaming giants Netflix and YouTube see the rights as major opportunities to boost their platforms

Summary: FIFA World Cup U.S. Rights Draw Bidding Interest from Streaming Giants

Key Developments:

Netflix, Disney, and Alphabet's YouTube are competing to acquire U.S. broadcast rights for the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cup, potentially unseating current rights holder Fox. Formal discussions between FIFA and media companies are expected to begin within three months.

Financial Details:

• Media executives are budgeting $1.5-2 billion per tournament for U.S. rights
• This represents a dramatic increase from the 2026 tournament, where Fox paid $485 million for English-language rights and NBCUniversal's Telemundo paid $600 million for Spanish-language rights
• FIFA plans to bundle English- and Spanish-language rights together, driving prices higher

Market Implications:

The bundled rights package will likely exclude NBCUniversal from bidding, as the company—recently announced for spinout by Comcast—already carries significant sports obligations including NFL and NBA contracts. Amazon and Apple could also enter the bidding competition.

Viewership Drivers:

The 2026 World Cup has delivered exceptional ratings, with the U.S.-Bosnia match becoming the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in history with over 26 million viewers. The U.S.-Belgium match drew an estimated 47.9 million combined viewers across platforms.

Challenges:

Both future tournaments present less favorable time zones for U.S. audiences—2030 in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain (5-6 hour difference) and 2034 in Saudi Arabia (even greater difference).

The streaming giants view World Cup rights as strategic opportunities to boost their platforms, with Netflix already securing women's World Cup rights for 2027 and 2031.