World Cup ‘could move to Netflix’ but BBC and ITV protected thanks to special rule | Football | Sport
Netflix have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the World Cup broadcast rights for 2030 and 2034. The streaming giants have already secured the rights to show next year’s Women’s World Cup, in addition to the 2031 tournament, in the United States and Canada. They have placed a growing emphasis on live sport in recent years, with football at the front of their agenda.
According to Sportico, several broadcasters have already expressed interest in the broadcast rights for the next two World Cups. Netflix are said to be targeting the 2030 tournament, which is set to be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. In a move to mark the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, matches will also be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
The report states that Netflix are also interested in the 2034 edition, due to be staged in Saudi Arabia. As a result, it seems likely that FIFA will revert to a winter schedule, as they did when the World Cup was held in Qatar in 2022.
However, it’s claimed that Netflix are only in contention for the broadcast rights in the US and Canada. In the UK, matches will continue to be shown on free-to-air channels, most likely BBC and ITV.
That’s because the World Cup is classified as a Category A event, meaning full live coverage must be made available on terrestrial channels.
Other events under the Category A banner include the Women’s World Cup, men’s and women’s Euros, the FA Cup final, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Grand National and Epsom Derby, the Rugby World Cup final and Wimbledon.
Broadcasters in the UK must ensure these crown jewel events can be viewed freely by roughly 95 per cent of the population.
Paid and subscription-based networks may still provide live coverage, but it must be shared with free-to-air channels.
This summer’s World Cup attracted millions of viewers across the country, with every single match being shown live on either BBC or ITV.
Both networks aired live coverage of the final, which saw Spain defeat Argentina after extra time thanks to Ferran Torres’ winning goal.
The largest average audience of the tournament came during England’s semi-final against Argentina, with the BBC attracting an estimated 14.1 million overnight viewers and a peak audience of 24 million.
ITV’s highest figures arrived during England’s win over Norway in the quarter-finals, with around 12 million viewers tuning in for the live coverage.
