FIFA seeks up to $2B for 2030 World Cup media rights as Netflix, Disney, and Amazon circle

FIFA is about to turn its next World Cup media rights auction into the most expensive bidding war in soccer history. The governing body expects to command between $1.5 billion and $2 billion per tournament for US media rights to the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups, a figure that would roughly quadruple the $485 million Fox paid for English-language rights in its current deal.

Netflix, Disney, YouTube, and potentially Amazon have all expressed interest in acquiring the rights, according to a CNBC report. Formal discussions on the auction are expected to begin within the next three months.

Streaming platforms want their Super Bowl moment

YouTube, backed by Alphabet’s advertising machine, already streams NFL Sunday Ticket. Amazon has Thursday Night Football on Prime Video.

Crypto is already inside the stadium

Kraken was announced as FIFA’s first official crypto exchange supporter on June 9, 2026, tying a major centralized exchange to the world’s most-watched sporting event.

FIFA has also been utilizing the Avalanche blockchain for digital collectibles and is testing blockchain-based ticketing solutions. Blockchain-based tickets can reduce fraud, enable transparent secondary market trading, and create programmable royalties that flow back to FIFA on every resale.

Fan tokens have also become a barometer of on-field success during the current tournament. Spain’s fan token surged 54% in value during World Cup matches, illustrating a direct and sometimes volatile correlation between sporting performance and crypto asset prices. Trading volumes for national team fan tokens have spiked broadly during the tournament cycle, creating a parallel market that didn’t exist a few World Cups ago.

Where media rights and digital assets converge

The Avalanche blockchain’s involvement is worth monitoring specifically. If FIFA’s ticketing and collectibles infrastructure performs well during the 2026 tournament, it creates a proof-of-concept that could influence how the 2030 rights winner structures its digital offerings.

With formal auction discussions expected within three months, the next quarter will reveal whether the $2 billion target is aspirational or conservative.

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