Major streaming services Netflix, Disney, and Google's YouTube are reportedly preparing to bid for the U.S. broadcast rights for the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups. FIFA aims to leverage the significant increase in American viewership for the current 2026 tournament, which is shattering records across North America, by potentially awarding the rights for each future tournament as a single package worth between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.
Discussions between FIFA and interested media companies are expected to commence within the next three months. The governing body for international soccer has informed potential partners that the English and Spanish-language rights will likely be sold together, a departure from the current 2026 World Cup rights, which were divided between Fox for English broadcasts and Telemundo for Spanish. This combined package could present a significant challenge for networks like NBCUniversal's Telemundo, which may not be positioned to compete for a deal of this magnitude.
While Netflix, Disney, and YouTube are seen as frontrunners eager to enhance their streaming platforms, other tech giants like Amazon and Apple, which already hold rights for Major League Soccer globally and the UEFA Champions League in the UK respectively, could also enter the competition.
The substantial valuation for the upcoming tournaments comes despite less favorable time zones for American viewers. The 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, will be five to six hours ahead of U.S. East Coast time. The 2034 tournament, slated for Saudi Arabia, presents an even greater time difference challenge for prime-time viewing in the United States.
Despite these logistical hurdles, the success of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, has demonstrated a robust domestic appetite for soccer. The U.S. Men's National Team's recent elimination match against Belgium attracted a combined audience of 47.9 million viewers across English and Spanish broadcasts. Earlier in the tournament, a U.S. match against Bosnia and Herzegovina became the most-watched English-language soccer telecast in U.S. history, with over 26 million viewers on Fox, supplemented by 9.8 million on Telemundo and Peacock. Even matches not featuring the U.S. team have drawn significant audiences, such as Portugal's game against Croatia, which garnered 11 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-finals game in U.S. history without the American squad participating.