Fox Sports paid roughly $485 million for the right to broadcast the 2026 FIFA World Cup in English across the US. When the final whistle blows this summer, that contract expires, and FIFA will be shopping its crown jewel to the highest bidder in what’s shaping up to be one of the most lucrative sports media auctions in recent memory.
Analysts estimate the open-market value for the 2030 World Cup rights and beyond could land somewhere between $1 billion and $1.5 billion, possibly higher. That’s roughly double or triple what Fox is currently paying.
The hydration break goldmine
FIFA mandated three-minute hydration breaks in each half of all 104 matches, ostensibly to protect player welfare in the expanded 48-team format. Those breaks also created natural ad windows. Fox has been selling 30-second spots during those breaks for between $200,000 and $750,000, depending on the match.
The streaming giants are circling
