CONFIRMED
FIFA has opened the tender for U.S. and Puerto Rico media rights to the 2030 men’s World Cup, with an option on 2034, Reuters reported on Thursday 22 October 2026, citing a FIFA press release. Bids are due on 19 November, and FIFA plans to pick a winner by the end of the year. The timing is pointed: earlier the same week, Netflix announced it had landed the 2030 tournament in Spain and Andorra.
What we know
The kick-off is official. Reuters, citing FIFA’s press release, reported that the invitation to tender covers the United States and Puerto Rico for 2030, with an option to secure the 2034 edition as well.
FIFA’s own wording is the line every streamer will have underlined. According to Reuters, the governing body said it is open to “innovative approaches” to reach large audiences. That is a wide-open door, and nobody needs a VAR review to see who it is aimed at.
FIFA also brought its numbers. Reuters reported FIFA’s figure that the 2026 World Cup averaged 13.5 million U.S. viewers per match across linear and streaming platforms, up 166% on Qatar 2022.
The current lineup is familiar. Reuters reported that Fox held the exclusive English-language U.S. rights to 2026 and Telemundo held the Spanish-language rights. Fox’s deal ran through the 2026 final, so the field is clear.
There is precedent for a streamer winning, too. FIFA unbundled the Women’s World Cup from the men’s tournament, and Netflix holds U.S. rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, a deal ESPN reported and FIFA confirmed.
What we don’t know yet
FIFA has not said who is bidding, what it expects to earn, or whether English and Spanish rights will definitely be sold as one package. In July, CNBC reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that FIFA had told media companies the two were likely to be sold together for 2030 and 2034. FIFA has not confirmed that publicly.
The old fees remain murky as well. Published estimates put Fox’s 2026 deal at about $485m and Telemundo’s at about $600m. FIFA has never disclosed the figures.
What is rumored
CNBC reported on 7 July, citing unnamed sources, that YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Disney/ESPN are interested, alongside Fox, and that Apple may also enter. CNBC has a strong record on rights scoops, but no official bidder list exists. Netflix is the one name with an on-record signal: Deadline reported that Netflix’s Bela Bajaria has publicly confirmed the company’s interest.
On price, CNBC reported that media executives were budgeting $1.5bn to $2bn per tournament. Bloomberg reported the package could be worth as much as $4bn for English and Spanish combined. These are estimates from unnamed executives and analysts, and FIFA has confirmed no price.
Forbes, citing Front Office Sports, reported that bidding could start at $1bn. Front Office Sports is generally reliable on rights news, but the figure is unverified and second-hand.
GlobeTV, relaying Variety, says Fox and Telemundo are both expected to bid again. Neither company has formally confirmed it.
What it means
The question on the pitch is simple: can a streamer take the biggest event in sport off traditional television in America?
The incumbents have a strong case. Comcast said on 22 October that World Cup telecasts lifted NBCU’s third-quarter U.S. ad revenue by 14.6%, Yahoo Sports reported. That is why nobody expects Telemundo’s parent to walk away quietly.
But FIFA’s “innovative approaches” language, the Women’s World Cup precedent and a possible 2034 add-on in Saudi Arabia all tilt the field toward deep-pocketed tech. The whistle goes on 19 November. Until FIFA names a winner, every price and every bidder list stays exactly what it is: a rumor.
Follow every development in one place on our World Cup 2026 hub.
