​Bidding for the U.S. media rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup could begin at $1 billion, according to sources speaking with Front Office Sports. Fox Sports recently made headlines with what many viewed as a major swing in American sports rights when it secured the English-language rights to the current men’s World Cup for $485 million. Yet, with Fox delivering record TV ratings for the first U.S. World Cup in 32 years, the market has shifted to a seller’s posture.
As several bidders are expected to push up rights fees, FIFA appears poised to cash in handsomely as it auctions the U.S. media rights for the 2030 men’s World Cup, scheduled for Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, along with the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia. Doug Perlman, chief executive of Sports Media Advisors, did not comment on specific dollar figures, but he noted that FIFA, based in Switzerland, will hold a strong negotiating hand as it competes for media dollars with major North American leagues such as the NFL, MLB, and the NHL. A starting price of $1 billion would represent more than a doubling from the current World Cup rights fees.
“There’s no question that FIFA is going to secure a substantial increase for its U.S. rights,” Perlman told Front Office Sports. “First, the current World Cup rights are coming off a low base, so they’ll be climbing from a weak point. Second, soccer—especially the World Cup—has demonstrated significant value for a wide array of media companies. Fox and Telemundo will certainly want to keep the rights, but there are many others, including streamers, that will vie for a property that can drive subscriber acquisition, retention, and engagement. When a property becomes strategic, like the World Cup has, you see dramatic price increases.”
Industry veteran Daniel Cohen, executive vice president of Octagon’s media advisory, believes this World Cup could become the most successful soccer tournament ever in terms of value. He envisions FIFA leveraging English- and Spanish-language rights for the 2030 and 2034 cycles into a combined package valued at around $3 billion.
Cohen shared his outlook with FOS while en route to Seattle for USA–Belgium: “With ratings surging across FOX and Telemundo, the tournament is delivering on retransmission fees. Cable MVPDs recognize WS1’s value more than ever when matches air on cable, digital consumption is strong, and advertisers are flocking to traditional media together with experiential and digital packages like never before. FIFA could market the next two cycles in the U.S., bundle them together, and achieve a $3 billion result.”
Nevertheless, nothing is guaranteed until the contracts are signed. Unlike the current tournament, the scheduling of the 2030 World Cup won’t offer the same favorable time zone alignment for U.S. media partners. Most matches in 2030 are expected to be five hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, which could affect reach and search optimization, and the distribution strategy will need to account for those differences.