FOX, NBCUniversal secure broadcasting rights for 2026 FIFA World Cup

The biggest sporting event on the planet now has its American broadcast home locked in. FOX and NBCUniversal’s Telemundo have secured exclusive US broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, covering all 104 matches set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

FOX is paying approximately $485 million for the English-language rights.

How the deal breaks down

FOX will air 70 matches on its flagship network, with the remaining 34 games broadcast on FS1. Every single match will also be streamed live and on-demand in 4K through FOX One, the company’s streaming platform. That’s 340 hours of first-run programming.

On the Spanish-language side, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo will handle all broadcasts, offering both linear TV and digital streaming options.

This is also a meaningfully larger tournament than anything we’ve seen before. The 2026 World Cup expands to 48 teams, up from the traditional 32-team format. That expansion is what pushes the total match count to 104, compared to 64 games at the 2022 Qatar tournament.

The backstory on these rights

The rights agreement traces back to February 2015, when FIFA extended broadcasting privileges to FOX and Telemundo without competitive bidding. The extension was essentially compensation for the chaos caused by FIFA’s decision to move the 2022 Qatar World Cup from its traditional summer window to November and December, disrupting the networks’ carefully planned programming schedules.

What this means for investors and the broader media landscape

For shareholders of Fox Corporation (FOXA) and Comcast/NBCUniversal (CMCSA), the World Cup represents a rare catalyst in a media industry that has otherwise been defined by cord-cutting anxiety and streaming profitability questions.

FOX One’s 4K streaming strategy is positioned to capture viewers who have already cut the cord but still want premium live sports. FOX has indicated plans for free trial promotions as part of its digital subscriber acquisition strategy around the tournament.

One notable absence in this deal is any integration of crypto sponsorships or blockchain-based fan engagement tools. FIFA itself has experimented with NFT partnerships and crypto sponsorships in recent tournaments, but the US broadcast rights package appears to be a purely traditional media play.

ESPN, which has aggressively expanded its soccer portfolio with MLS and La Liga rights, finds itself on the outside looking in for the single biggest soccer event of the decade.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.