The Future of Watching the World Cup on TV (And Everything Changes by 2026)

Making sense of who will show the biggest sports tournament on the planet — and what it means for you.

The Big Question: Where Will You Watch the 2030 World Cup?

Imagine this: It’s the year 2030. The World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event — is about to begin in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. You grab the remote, flip to Fox, and… wait, the World Cup isn’t there anymore.

That’s a real possibility.

Right now, the channel that broadcasts the English-language World Cup rights in the United States has a deal that expires after the 2026 tournament. That means by the time the 2026 World Cup (hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) wraps up, everything is up for grabs again — and the price tag is going to be enormous.

Here’s what we know right now:

• Fox paid $425 million for the current World Cup deal — and the next buyer will pay far more than that.
• Fox will be out of the running after 2026 when its contract ends.
• Competitors waiting in the wings include:
  • Netflix
  • Amazon Prime Video
  • YouTube
  • Apple TV
  • DAZN
  • Traditional networks like CBS, NBC, and ESPN

So by 2030, you might need a streaming subscription to watch the biggest sporting event in the world. No cable required — but no free channel either.

Why Are Streamers Racing to Get?

The World Cup is a global event watched by billions. That kind of audience is exactly what big streaming companies want:

• It brings in massive subscriber numbers.
• It makes the service seem essential, not optional.
• If you already need Netflix or Amazon for other shows, adding World Cup exclusivity gives people one more reason never to cancel.

Netflix has already started moving into live sports — quite small at first, but planning big. They’ve grabbed the rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031 for the United States and Canada (the first piece of live sports that big for them). They’ve also picked up small portions of NFL, MLB, and boxing events.

The global nature of the World Cup? That’s a streamer’s dream — lots of people, all tuning in at once, all around the world.

Important: FIFA May Change the Game

FIFA — the governing body of world soccer — is considering a controversial new format:

• Instead of two 45-minute halves, the games would be split into quarters.
• This creates built-in "hydration breaks" — basically mandatory pauses in the action.
• Why does that matter? More ad breaks mean more advertising money.
• More ad revenue means FIFA can charge even higher prices to whoever buys the broadcast rights.

If this format happens, expect rights fees to jump even more.

What To Expect:

1. FIFA is expected to sell the next two Men’s World Cup rights packages together (covering 2026 and potentially beyond, including the controversial 2034 event in Saudi Arabia).
2. The 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia is expected to be played in the winter to avoid extreme heat.
3. Don’t be surprised if different companies buy rights for different regions — FIFA tends to sell rights country by country.
4. Some countries, like England, have laws that require the World Cup to stay on free TV so everyone can watch. This could complicate things in certain markets.

The Wild Card Factor

There’s even more uncertainty in TV rights right now because of the NFL.

The NFL recently hinted it might use contract opt-out clauses to demand even more money from TV networks. How much money? The league already has deals worth $110 billion — but that’s for 11 years, and they want more.

This matters here because TV networks have a fixed budget for sports rights:

• If the NFL takes a bigger slice of the pie, there’s less money available for the World Cup.
• Or, networks desperate to keep sports audiences might overpay and risk burning budget before World Cup negotiations even begin.

Either way, the World Cup isn’t just competing against other soccer tournaments — it’s competing against everything networks spend money on.

How Will Fox Respond?

Despite its deal ending in 2026, Fox has been doing a solid job this year. In fact, some might argue this has been their best World Cup yet.

But they’ll enter the next TV negotiation knockout round facing some serious competition and probably aren’t the favorite to retain rights. The big money is coming, and it’s not clear Fox will outbid the deep pockets of a tech giant.

Fox’s Studio Strategy and Talent

The "Zlatan & Lalas Formation" — A Tactical Shift

During the group stage, Fox made a noticeable change to their pre-match and analysis coverage:

• For the second U.S. game (where the Americans beat Australia 2-0), Fox set up a three-person studio team in Los Angeles: Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
• Meanwhile, Alexi Lalas was in Seattle with Rob Stone, Clint Dempsey, and Carli Lloyd — part of a bigger on-site, fan atmosphere that felt a little like ESPN’s "College GameDay."

What This Means For Your Viewing Experience:

• Talent was split across two locations instead of crammed into one.
• This created more variety — one group focused on tactical discussion (Henry and Zlatan), the other on atmosphere (Lalas in Seattle with the "College GameDay energy").
• Once knockout rounds begin July 4, Fox plans to put the entire team on the road together.
• The suggestion: split the team differently — put Lowe, Henry, and Zlatan as one main group and Lalas with Stone and company as another.

Why Does This Matter to You?

This isn’t just behind-the-scenes trivia. Better studio setups mean more entertaining coverage between and around games. When they get the chemistry right, World Cup broadcasts become appointment viewing even when matches are dull.

The Great American Play-by-Play Question

Here’s something that might surprise casual viewers:

There isn’t a definitive "voice of the World Cup" in American broadcasting.

In the U.S., we have legendary voices for other sports:

• Marv Albert was the voice of the NBA for decades.
• Vin Scully was the voice of baseball.
• Al Michaels and John Madden defined NFL broadcasting.

But for soccer? There’s no equivalent — yet.

Why Is This So Hard?

The best play-by-play announcers for any sport share one thing in common: they grew up with the game. They understand the rhythm, the slang, the subtle moments that make soccer unique.

• Joe Buck and Kevin Burkhardt — Fox’s top NFL voices — haven’t shown interest in calling soccer.
• Mike Tirico (NBC) hosted the World Cup for ESPN in the past, but even he didn’t grow up playing the game.
• Gus Johnson was once tried as a soccer voice, but he didn’t "speak the language" of the sport — and it showed.

Fox’s Current Play-by-Play Team

Fox has three main American play-by-play announcers for the World Cup:

1. John Strong — Fox’s No. 1, calling his third World Cup final. He’s knowledgeable and soccer-focused, but some say he lacks the natural rhythm of British announcers like Ian Darke (Fox’s No. 2).
2. J.P. Dellacamera — A veteran voice of American soccer, but his commentary sometimes misses key details or emotional moments.
3. Tyler Terens — A 32-year-old newcomer showing real potential, but still needs more experience.

The Future: A New Generation?

Younger broadcasters like Noah Eagle and Ryan Ruocco could eventually become the definitive American soccer voice. As more young broadcasters grow up watching and playing the sport, the talent pipeline is improving.

The bottom line: One day, the U.S. might have its own Marv Albert for the World Cup. But that day hasn’t arrived yet.

American Goal Scorers: The Analyst Game

While play-by-play voices get the attention, analysts (the people who explain what’s happening) are just as important.

The Best in the Business Right Now

• Stu Holden (Fox) and Taylor Twellman (Apple TV) are widely considered the two best TV soccer analysts in the U.S.
• They understand the job: explain the game clearly, anticipate what viewers are thinking, and don’t just repeat what’s obvious.

Example: When Christian Pulisic came off the bench in the U.S.’s final group-stage match, viewers wondered why — he’d missed the previous game with a calf injury, and the result didn’t matter for the bracket. Holden explained, without being prompted, that it was more important to shake off the rust than to rest — even with the risk of re-injury.

Other Notable Performers

• Clint Dempsey has improved significantly compared to his on-air work at the Qatar World Cup four years ago. He sounds much more comfortable.
• Carli Lloyd is praised for her willingness to say what she thinks — even when it’s unpopular.

The Ratings Story: Americans Are Watching

Here’s the most important number of all: people are watching.

• Through the first two rounds of group-stage matches, 84.3 million Americans had tuned into Fox or FS1 for World Cup coverage.
• Fox’s president of analytics told Colin Cowherd that a U.S. appearance in the World Cup final could draw 50 million viewers.
• These numbers are astonishingly strong — and that’s across both Fox and Telemundo (the Spanish-language broadcaster).

What This Means:

• The audience is growing.
• Networks know this — which is why they’re willing to pay more and more for rights.
• Advertisers know this too — which is why FIFA’s potential "quarters" format with more ad breaks is so appealing.

Summary

Here’s everything you need to know in a nutshell:

• Fox’s World Cup deal ends after 2026. The 2030 tournament (in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain) will likely be on a different network — possibly a streamer like Netflix, Amazon, or YouTube.
• Rights fees are going way up. The next deal will cost far more than Fox’s $425 million, driven by global demand and FIFA’s potential new "quarters" format with more ad breaks.
• Streamers are circling. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and others see the World Cup as a way to attract massive global audiences.
• Fox is doing well this year but faces an uphill battle to retain rights against deep-pocketed tech companies.
• The U.S. still lacks a definitive World Cup play-by-play voice, but the next generation of broadcasters is growing up with the sport.
• Analysts like Stu Holden and Taylor Twellman are setting the standard for American soccer coverage.
• Ratings are booming — 84.3 million Americans have already watched, and a U.S. final could hit 50 million viewers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will I need a streaming subscription to watch the 2030 World Cup?
A: It’s very possible. While nothing is confirmed yet, the leading bidders are streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. Traditional networks like CBS, NBC, and ESPN are also in the mix, so there’s still a chance it stays on regular TV.

Q: Why would FIFA split games into quarters instead of halves?
A: More breaks mean more commercial advertising opportunities, which means more revenue for FIFA. It’s controversial because it interrupts the flow of the game, but the financial incentive is significant.

Q: Who are the best American soccer commentators right now?
A: For analysts, Stu Holden (Fox) and Taylor Twellman (Apple TV) are widely considered the best. For play-by-play, John Strong is Fox’s top voice, though many fans prefer the British style of Ian Darke.

Q: Why doesn’t the U.S. have a legendary World Cup announcer like Marv Albert or Vin Scully?
A: The best play-by-play voices for any sport typically grew up playing and watching that game from childhood. Soccer hasn’t been a mainstream American sport for long enough to produce that generation of broadcasters — but younger announcers are changing that.

Q: How many people in the U.S. are watching the World Cup?
A: A lot. Through the first two rounds of group-stage matches, 84.3 million Americans had watched on Fox or FS1. If the U.S. makes the final, that number could reach 50 million viewers for a single game.