A fierce contest is emerging for the United States broadcast rights to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, with leading streaming platforms and traditional media companies preparing to challenge Fox Corp’s long-standing position.
According to a CNBC report, Netflix, The Walt Disney Company and Alphabet-owned YouTube are among the companies exploring bids for the highly sought-after football rights, as FIFA prepares to begin discussions with prospective media partners over the next three months.
Industry sources cited in the report said media executives are budgeting between US$1.5 billion and US$2 billion for each tournament, reflecting a significant increase in the value of the competition’s US media rights.
FIFA is also expected to reshape the bidding process by offering the English- and Spanish-language rights as a single combined package. The move is widely seen as an effort to maximise value, although it could limit the number of potential bidders.
Comcast-owned NBCUniversal is reportedly unlikely to compete at the expected price level as it assesses its financial position following the planned spin-off of parts of its business.
The expected price tag comes despite concerns over less favourable viewing times for US audiences during the 2030 and 2034 tournaments, which will be staged across North Africa, Europe and Saudi Arabia.
Nevertheless, the report suggested that technology companies such as Amazon and Apple could still enter the bidding process, leveraging their financial strength and streaming capabilities rather than relying on conventional television broadcasting models.
For streaming platforms, securing FIFA World Cup rights is viewed as a major opportunity to attract new subscribers, strengthen viewer engagement and expand advertising revenues.
However, investors remain cautious about the substantial financial commitment required.
Shares in Netflix, Disney and Alphabet were little changed following the report, with markets appearing to adopt a wait-and-see approach as analysts assess whether the sizeable investment could generate sufficient long-term returns through subscriptions and advertising.
