VP of sports says company seeks global rights for tournament; World Cup debut will be with the broadcast of the 2027 Women’s Cup, hosted in Brazil
Netflix intends to negotiate with FIFA to acquire the rights to the 2030 World Cup. The statement was made by Gabe Spitzer, vice president of sports at the streaming platform, on the Netflix podcast. The Athletic.
The interest marks a change of level in the company’s sports content strategy. Currently, the broadcasting rights for the World Cup in the United States belong to Fox. The contract ends after the 2026 World Cup. The 2030 tournament will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
According to Spitzer, Netflix seeks to consolidate a sports strategy that is not limited to just the North American market. “We want global rights when we can get them“, declared the executive. He cited boxing matches and NFL games as examples, which are already available on the platform worldwide.
WOMEN’S CUP
Before advancing to the men’s World Cup, Netflix will have its biggest broadcast challenge in , which will be held in Brazil. Spitzer classified the project as “by far the most ambitious thing” already carried out by the company in the sector.
For the women’s tournament, the platform plans a robust structure:
- Base in Rio: the operation will be based in Rio de Janeiro;
- Studio in Copacabana: Netflix plans to build sets on Copacabana beach with views of the sea;
- Team: more than 100 talents will work on broadcasts in English and Spanish for the United States and Canada;
- Volume: coverage of all 64 games in the competition over 1 month.
Netflix’s move comes at a time of expansion, which will have 48 teams and 104 matches from 2026. While FIFA defends high market prices for tickets and rights, arguing that entertainment in the US is the most developed in the world, technology platforms are trying to grab shares previously restricted to traditional broadcasters.
