FIFA’s World Cup media rights bidding could reshape the streaming wars and sports tokenization
The global soccer body is preparing to auction off broadcast rights for two upcoming tournaments, with projected valuations that dwarf previous deals and carry implications for digital asset adoption in sports media.
FIFA is gearing up to open bidding for media rights to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, and US media rights alone are projected at $1.5 to $2 billion per tournament, a staggering leap from the roughly $485 million Fox Sports paid for English-language rights to the 2026 edition.
The bidding process is expected to launch shortly after the 2026 World Cup wraps up.
The bidders and the battlefield
The lineup of companies expected to compete includes Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube (Alphabet’s streaming play) alongside traditional heavyweights like Disney’s ESPN, Fox, and NBCUniversal’s Telemundo.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has already confirmed his company’s interest in securing the rights.
The projected fourfold increase in US rights valuations reflects how much the streaming wars have warped the economics of sports broadcasting. Fox paid around $485 million for the 2026 tournament. Now FIFA expects to pull in up to $2 billion per cycle.
Two tournaments, two very different hosts
The 2030 World Cup will be spread across Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. The 2034 edition goes to Saudi Arabia, a decision announced in December 2024.
Where crypto fits, eventually
Right now, the digital asset sector is conspicuously absent from this conversation. No crypto exchanges are bidding for broadcast rights. No blockchain-based streaming platforms are at the table. The auction is playing out entirely within the traditional media and tech landscape.
The more immediate crypto angle is sponsorship. FIFA has historically partnered with fintech and payments companies, and the next rights cycle coincides with a period where major crypto firms are aggressively pursuing sports partnerships. Coinbase sponsors the NBA and NFL. Crypto.com has naming rights to a major arena.