The news: Netflix, Disney, and YouTube are considering bids to challenge Fox for the US broadcast rights to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, according to CNBC. Media executives are considering preliminary budgets between $1.5 billion and $2 billion per tournament. FIFA has signaled to potential partners that English- and Spanish-language US media rights will likely be bundled together, a strategy expected to increase the final acquisition cost.

Formal discussions are slated to begin within the next three months.

Zooming out: The media rights interest aligns with unprecedented US viewership for the current 2026 tournament across North America. According to network and Nielsen data:

• The US vs. Belgium Round of 16 match averaged 30 million viewers on Fox alone, peaking at 36.9 million viewers. Combined with 12 million viewers from Telemundo and Peacock, the match drew a total of 42 million viewers.
• Round of 16 between England and Mexico drew a combined linear and digital audience of 44.8 million, making this the most watched match-up in the tournament thus far.
• The US vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina Round of 32 match averaged 24.4 million viewers on Fox, while Telemundo added 9.1 million viewers, bringing the final combined audience to 33.5 million.
• Fox Sports (across Fox, FS1, and Tubi) averaged 5.05 million viewers for the 72-match group stage, a 92% increase over 2022. Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock averaged 4.6 million viewers, a 122% increase from 2022.

Why it matters: The 2026 World Cup has benefitted from North American time zones, but the upcoming tournaments present scheduling friction for domestic US audiences. The 2030 tournament—co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain—introduces a five- to six-hour time difference for the US Eastern time zone. The 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia will widen this gap further, shifting a high volume of live match windows into the early morning hours for US viewers.

For digital-first bidders like Netflix and YouTube, securing the World Cup offers a global lever to scale ad-supported tiers and capture subscription revenues. However, unfavorable broadcast windows mean live, linear TV viewership may decrease compared to 2026. This reality will force media companies to evaluate whether a $1.5 billion-plus price delivers a return on investment when matches air outside of US primetime.

Implications for marketers: When live time zones present a challenge, standard linear TV spots may yield lower reach. To adapt, marketers could consider:

• Directing ad spend toward digital highlights, on-demand replays, and social-first summaries that may help capture audiences who miss early morning live broadcasts.
• If a streaming company secures the bundle, brands might look to shift budgets toward programmatic connected TV (CTV) inventory to leverage advanced audience targeting.
• For multi-market brands, capitalizing on international feeds where the time zones are favorable could optimize overall tournament ROI.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.