Netflix open to ‘conversations’ with FIFA about men’s World Cup rights, exec says

In just over nine months, Netflix will begin its biggest live sports undertaking yet, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The streaming giant secured U.S. rights to the quadrennial event in both 2027 and 2031, succeeding Fox, which has aired each Women’s World Cup in the country since 2015. Naturally, with men’s World Cup rights for both 2030 and 2034 due to hit the market in the coming months, Netflix has been floated as a potential contender to land the event.

So far, Netflix is one of many media companies that are reportedly interested in bidding for the men’s World Cup. Other companies with reported interest include incumbents Fox and NBC, as well as Disney, YouTube, Prime Video, and Apple.

Asked in a recent interview with CNBC whether reports of Netflix’s interest in the men’s World Cup were true, the streamer’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said the company was open to “conversations” with FIFA about the event, noting that Netflix has a strong relationship soccer’s global governing body.

“We have a great partnership and relationship with FIFA, so we’re definitely always going to have those conversations,” Bajaria said of Netflix’s potential interest in bidding on the men’s event.

So far, Netflix has focused its live-sports strategy on properties it sees as “events.” In the U.S., that includes a handful of marquee NFL games, MLB’s Home Run Derby, and various combat sporting events with high-profile fighters. The World Cup, both the men’s and the women’s, would certainly qualify as an “event” from a Netflix perspective.

It’s unclear exactly how competition will shape up for the rights to the next two men’s World Cups. Most agree it will be hard to replicate the viewership success of this summer’s North American event due to the unfavorable time zones in 2030 (Morocco, Portugal, Spain) and 2034 (Saudi Arabia). However, should the implementation of mandatory hydration breaks continue, broadcasters could raise their bids accordingly. Fox reportedly made between $250 million and $450 million on hydration break advertising alone during this summer’s World Cup.

According to prior reports, FIFA would like to bundle the English and Spanish-language rights into one package for 2030 and 2034, which could make Netflix a more attractive partner. Streamers, of course, can seamlessly offer multiple streams with different languages, while linear television broadcasters need to utilize multiple channels. That said, Netflix is far from the only streamer with interest in World Cup rights.

For now, it appears Netflix will hold its cards close to the vest and engage with FIFA when the time comes.