​Netflix, Disney, and Alphabet’s YouTube are lining up to contend for the U.S. broadcast rights to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, with media executives budgeting roughly $1.5 billion to $2 billion per tournament, according to CNBC. Apple and Amazon are also among the potential bidders. In the near term—within about three months—FIFA and its prospective media partners are expected to begin formal negotiations, according to sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
The proposed price tag marks a significant increase from the current deals. For the 2026 World Cup, Fox secured the English-language rights for about $485 million, while Telemundo paid around $600 million for the Spanish-language package. Going forward, FIFA is anticipated to offer the rights as a single bundled package rather than separate language-specific rights, a strategy analysts say would remove the downward pricing pressure that can arise when multiple bidders compete for the same matches in different languages.
A bundled rights package could effectively exclude NBCUniversal from consideration, CNBC notes, as the company faces intensified financial scrutiny following Comcast’s announced spinout and is already tied up in multibillion-dollar contracts with the NFL and NBA. For Disney, placing a bid could enable the company to broadcast matches on ESPN and ABC in addition to its streaming platform, an arrangement FIFA might find appealing given the strong performance of broadcast television for Fox this year. Netflix, by contrast, already has a working relationship with FIFA, thanks to its rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups.
Recent audience figures are strengthening FIFA’s hand in negotiations. A July 1 match in which the United States defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina drew 26.4 million viewers on Fox, setting a record as the highest-rated English-language soccer telecast in history, according to Front Office Sports. Combined audience estimates from AdImpact for the subsequent U.S. versus Belgium game place the total at about 47.9 million across both English- and Spanish-language broadcasts.
However, American broadcasters will face scheduling challenges for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments. The 2030 event will feature Morocco, Portugal, and Spain in time zones five to six hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, while 2034’s Saudi Arabia location presents an even more substantial gap, limiting the availability of prime-time evening programming that typically drives the largest domestic viewership.
Doug Perlman, founder of Sports Media Advisors, notes that FIFA starts negotiations from a position of strength because North America’s major leagues are all competing for the same pool of media dollars. “There’s no doubt FIFA will secure a substantial increase for its U.S. rights,” Perlman said. The overarching dynamic is clear: the 2030 and 2034 World Cup rights represent a lucrative prize in a crowded U.S. sports media market, where multiple platforms are ready to bid for premium access to FIFA’s marquee global event.