FIFA opens U.S. tender for 2030 World Cup rights, with 2034 option and a winner expected by year's end

FIFA formally opened the bidding for U.S. media rights to the 2030 World Cup on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, launching an invitation to tender that covers the United States and Puerto Rico. Bidders can also package in rights to the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia. Proposals are due by 12:00 EST on Nov. 19, 2026, and FIFA intends to select its next media partner before the end of the year, according to the tender announcement and comments from FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai.

The timing follows the most-watched World Cup in U.S. history. The 2026 tournament averaged 13.5 million viewers per match across linear and streaming platforms, up 166% from Qatar 2022, per FIFA. Every U.S. men's national team match drew more than 20 million viewers, and the final averaged 63 million, which FIFA called the most-watched soccer match in U.S. history. Sports Business Journal counted 18 matches that drew at least 20 million combined viewers in English and Spanish on Fox and Telemundo platforms.

The price expectations reflect that surge. Some media executives predicted in July 2026 that the rights could sell for between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, CNBC reported. The comparison point is stark: Fox paid $425 million for the 2026 World Cup, per CNBC, while SBJ reported Fox and Telemundo paid $485 million and $465 million, respectively, for 2026 rights. Either way, the 2030 auction is set to clear the previous deals by a wide margin, and Gai said it is too early to gauge what price is realistic.

The structural twist is FIFA's preference to sell English- and Spanish-language rights together to a single media partner. That departs from precedent, since Fox held English rights and NBCUniversal's Telemundo held Spanish rights for 2026. The split created friction, CNBC reported, because Peacock carried Spanish-language games at a lower price than Fox One, which streamed English-language coverage. FIFA says it will also consider joint offerings, potentially pairing a streamer with a traditional broadcaster. "We want to be flexible," Gai said in an interview.

The bidder list spans old media and new. YouTube, Netflix, Disney/ESPN, Fox and Amazon are all interested, CNBC reported in July 2026. SBJ added that incumbents Fox and NBCUniversal want to retain the rights, ESPN has said it is interested, and Netflix is a likely bidder given its push into FIFA properties, including the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cups in the U.S. and Canada and the 2030 men's tournament in host country Spain. Amazon's Jay Marine said last month his firm is looking at the rights while noting that time zones matter.

That time zone question is the biggest valuation wrinkle. The 2026 tournament benefited from North American hosting that put matches in U.S. afternoons and evenings. The 2030 World Cup will be played primarily in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with centenary opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, and the 2034 tournament sits in Saudi Arabia, where Riyadh is seven hours ahead of New York. Gai downplayed the impact, saying FIFA expects daily matches available in the right time zone for U.S. audiences and that the effect on bidding will not be as big as people think.

FIFA has also built in a free-access safeguard. If a streaming service wins, FIFA will ensure a certain number of matches are available for free, either by forcing the streamer to sublicense rights or by placing games on a free tier if one exists. Netflix's Spain deal offers a template: it allows a free-to-air broadcaster to show at least one game each day. After bids close, a FIFA contingent plans to visit U.S. media companies around Thanksgiving, then either request a final round of bids or simply pick a winner.