FIFA Opens 2030 World Cup US Media Rights Race as Streaming Grows

FIFA has opened bidding for the broadcasting and streaming rights to the 2030 World Cup in the United States and Puerto Rico, setting up a new contest among media companies for access to one of international football's most valuable audiences.

The governing body announced the invitation to tender on Thursday, 22 October, offering interested broadcasters and digital platforms an option to bid for the 2034 World Cup rights alongside the 2030 tournament.

Proposals must be submitted by 12:00 Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, 19 November 2026.

The process comes after the 2026 World Cup delivered record television and streaming audiences in the United States, strengthening FIFA's commercial position ahead of negotiations for future tournaments.

According to figures released by FIFA, the 2026 competition attracted an average of 13.5 million viewers per match across television and streaming platforms in the United States, representing a 166 per cent increase over the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The final drew an average audience of 63 million viewers, which FIFA described as the highest US audience for a football match.

Those figures provide the commercial backdrop to the new tender, although FIFA has not disclosed the financial value it expects to receive from the next rights agreement.

Television networks face growing streaming competition

The bidding process comes as streaming services increasingly compete with established television broadcasters for premium live sports programming.

In the United States, traditional networks have historically relied on major sporting events to attract large audiences and advertising revenues, while digital platforms have expanded their investment in live sports.

For the 2026 World Cup, Fox held English-language broadcasting rights in the United States, while Telemundo held Spanish-language rights.

The new tender allows FIFA to consider different proposals for reaching audiences through television, streaming services or a combination of platforms.

FIFA says it is open to innovative approaches, but has not announced which companies will submit bids or whether the rights will ultimately be awarded to one broadcaster or several.

The structure of the final agreement could influence how American audiences watch the next World Cup, particularly whether matches remain widely accessible on conventional television or increasingly rely on subscription-based streaming platforms.

However, the tender announcement does not establish future subscription prices, free-to-air availability or restrictions on how viewers will access the tournament.

These questions will become clearer once FIFA selects its broadcasting partners and the successful companies announce their coverage arrangements.

FIFA seeks to capitalise on record audiences

The commercial significance of the tender is closely linked to the audience growth recorded during the 2026 tournament.

FIFA says the competition averaged 13.5 million viewers per match in the United States across linear television and streaming platforms.

Every match involving the United States men's national team reportedly attracted more than 20 million viewers, while the final averaged 63 million.

The figures indicate the scale of the US football audience following a World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Yet large television audiences do not automatically determine the value of a future broadcasting contract.

Potential bidders must assess the cost of securing rights against expected advertising income, subscription revenue and their broader commercial objectives.

FIFA, meanwhile, must decide how to balance the financial value of competing proposals against its stated ambition to reach the largest possible audience.

Media revenue and football development

FIFA identifies the sale of media rights as a major source of income for its international football programmes, including the FIFA Forward Development Programme.

The governing body says revenues from commercial agreements contribute to supporting football development across its member associations.

However, FIFA has not announced how much the new US media rights agreement might generate or how any additional revenue would be distributed.

This distinction matters for football associations in developing countries, where international development funding can support infrastructure, competitions and technical programmes.

Afghanistan is a FIFA member association, but the current tender covers broadcasting rights only in the United States and Puerto Rico.

It does not determine how World Cup matches will be broadcast in Afghanistan or establish a specific financial allocation for Afghan football.

Any wider benefit would depend on FIFA's subsequent revenue distribution and development funding decisions.

Different hosts for the next two World Cups

The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three centenary celebration matches taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark 100 years since the first World Cup.

Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 tournament.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the organisation wants a media partner capable of reaching supporters through different viewing platforms.

"The next two FIFA World Cups will build on that momentum. We are looking for a partner who shares our commitment to innovation," Grafström said in the FIFA announcement.

For media companies, the immediate decision is whether to compete for the 2030 tournament alone or pursue the additional opportunity presented by the 2034 rights.

For audiences, the more significant question will emerge after the contracts are awarded: how widely the matches will be available and whether accessing them will require additional payments.

The submission deadline of 19 November will mark the next stage of a commercial process that could shape World Cup broadcasting in the United States for much of the following decade.