USA gives FIFA template to ‘auction’ $1bn TV deal to highest bidder and smash World Cup record

FIFA is expecting to earn a record $3.8 billion from media rights for the 2026 World Cup.

That is 22.5 percent up on the previous edition as the biggest tournament in soccer hits new highs.

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Some $485 million of that is coming from FOX Sports, which won the U.S. rights effectively without a fight, much to the annoyance of ESPN.

It has been a roaring success, especially with the in-game hydration breaks turning matches into an American-style four-quarter affair.

FIFA insists it is a player safety measure. Whatever the real reason, the breaks are worth $250 million-plus in advertising revenue.

In 2030, FOX is unlikely to get a free run at the tournament — another multi-country spectacle in Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV or DAZN, will be lining up against the likes of CBS, NBC, and ESPN.

The Women’s World Cup rights for 2027 and 2031 in the United States and Canada have already been awarded to Netflix.

NBC is predicting the governing body could earn “at least” $1 billion for 2030 alone — highlighting just how much of a bargain FOX is getting.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand claims that the current holder will not be favorite.

NFL media rights could be open in 2030

Throwing a spanner in the works is the NFL.

The undisputed dominant force in U.S. sports from a TV rights perspective, it is currently in the middle of an 11-year deal worth over $110 billion.

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In 2030, the league is expected to use its opt-outs and try to squeeze even more money out of streamers and broadcasters, pitting itself in direct competition with FIFA.

The success of the USMNT on home soil has been a major boost for FOX, which saw 27.5 million tune in for a 4-1 win over Paraguay — a record for the most-watched World Cup game on both English and Spanish language television.

“Having this World Cup in North America clearly has a huge impact on ratings,” Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis, said, via the Los Angeles Times.

Official and unofficial events have sprung up all over the country, which have now been included in figures.

“For many years, the numbers were under-counted and what we’re seeing now is a truer representation of the sports audience,” Fox Sports president of insights and analytics’ Mike Mulvihill said in a recent interview.

“You just cannot overstate what it means to us to be able to capture all that viewing that’s happening at fan fests, in bars and at smaller watch parties.”

How many people will watch the World Cup on FOX?

FOX is hoping to bring in over 150 million viewers over the course of the tournament — that is just 20 million shy of its haul from an entire NFL season.

Mauricio Pochettino‘s USMNT returns Wednesday with a game against Bosnia.

If it can snap a nine-game losing streak against European opponents, FOX’s package will look like even more of a bargain.

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