FIFA has reportedly not released formal bidding guidelines for the upcoming 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups. According to Puck Media, media giants like Fox, Netflix, Disney and YouTube are already weighing their options.
What We Know: FOX Sports paid roughly $485 million for English-language U.S. rights to this year’s tournament, while Telemundo committed $600 million back in 2011 for Spanish-language rights. Those figures are roughly a discount for FOX Sports following litigation with FIFA. Audiences are watching this year. England’s win over Mexico drew 44.8 million U.S. viewers, and the USMNT’s loss to Belgium pulled in roughly 46 million. Given that surge, rights fees could nearly double for 2030 and 2034 according to Puck Media.
What They Said: According to Puck Media, FIFA has yet to release any details of the packages for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. This also includes if hydration breaks will continue.
Anonymous executives via Puck Media: “Everybody’s thinking about it. We’re thinking about it. But nobody’s focused on it. And certainly nobody has any idea on how much this is all going to cost.”
What Remains Unclear: Plenty remains up in the air. FIFA hasn’t confirmed whether hydration breaks will return, a detail worth an estimated $200 million in ad sales this year for FOX Sports. It’s also unclear if the 2034 Saudi tournament will run in summer or shift to November and December, as Qatar did in 2022.
What It Means: Even without clarity, expectations are forming. According to Puck Media, executives believe FIFA will offer four bid types, similar to the IOC model: English-only, Spanish-only, combined, or a contingent Spanish bid tied to winning English rights. Networks will likely submit initial bids before FIFA returns to top contenders for a second round. Until FIFA speaks publicly, though, everyone is negotiating in the dark. The price tag will likely rise, but it remains to be seen who could afford the bill.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.