FIFA is expected to begin negotiations for the U.S. broadcast rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup with a minimum asking price of $1 billion, more than double the $485 million Fox paid for the 2026 tournament.
The anticipated increase follows record-breaking television audiences generated by Fox and Telemundo during the 2026 World Cup, particularly for matches involving the United States and Mexico. Industry expectations point to a highly competitive bidding process involving both traditional broadcasters and major streaming platforms.
Market analysts believe the current rights deal was undervalued, with football now viewed as a premium property capable of driving subscriber growth, viewer engagement, and advertising revenue.
FIFA is also considering restructuring its rights package by combining English- and Spanish-language media rights into a single offering. Such a package could reportedly be worth as much as $3 billion.
Additional revenue opportunities, including advertising around hydration breaks introduced during the 2026 tournament, are also expected to boost the commercial value of future World Cups, potentially generating around $300 million in extra revenue for rights holders.
The bidding race is expected to include Fox, NBC Sports, ESPN, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, all of which could compete for the 2030 rights.
The 2026 World Cup has already demonstrated football’s growing appeal in the U.S., with the United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina match attracting an average of 26.4 million viewers on Fox, the largest English-language soccer audience in U.S. history.
Despite the commercial momentum, the 2030 tournament presents new challenges. Matches will be staged across six countries—Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay—and the European time zone could reduce U.S. television audiences compared with the 2026 edition hosted in North America.