Former Fox Sports Networks president would ‘probably pass’ on bundled English, Spanish World Cup rights

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With reports that FIFA may package English- and Spanish-language rights together for one media partner rather than split them in two, one notable former Fox executive thinks the cost might be too high for the current rightsholder to continue paying.

In a report on media companies interested in securing rights to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, CNBC reporter Alex Sherman noted that FIFA may package the rights together for one media partner rather than split them, which could help “eliminate some tensions between rival media companies airing the same games.” That comes amid reports that Telemundo has claimed “some unknown population of English speakers” who are watching the games via Peacock, which has “dampened” Fox’s potential World Cup reach. According to a report by NPR, 20 percent of Telemundo’s World Cup viewers say English is their “primary language.”

This is Fox’s last World Cup as English-language rightsholder in the U.S., and they have a big question to ask themselves looking ahead. Amid monster ratings and lucrative hydration breaks, should they partner up and pony up for the next round of World Cup rights, or should they focus elsewhere?

Bob Thompson, who was President of Fox Sports Networks from 2000 to 2009, thinks the company should consider letting go of World Cup rights, at least for the near future.

“If I’m FOX, and FIFA insists on Spanish and English being sold together for $1.5-$2.0 billion, I’m probably a pass,” Thompson wrote Tuesday on X. “World Cup has been great for FOX but… FOX’s Spanish language service is not a high priority. Next two sites present time zone issues, and one, Saudi Arabia, may necessitate another move to winter months when FOX has plenty of other priorities.

“On top of that, throw in NFL contract opener, and MLB and College deal renewals to be dealt with. World Cup remains nice to have but not [a] must-have.”

The 2026 World Cup has indeed been a boon for Fox, but the double whammy of being hosted in North America and the USMNT’s run to the Round of 16 has been a major driver of that viewership success. As Thompson noted, the 2030 tournament will be primarily held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, which creates scheduling issues, and the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia is a major unknown regarding timing and primetime broadcasts.

And as Thompson said, Fox is in the middle of a not-so-cold war with the NFL over broadcasting rights, with a 2029-2030 contract opt-out looming. However that shakes out, if the company wants to remain an NFL broadcaster, it’s gonna have to pay a pretty penny. And while this World Cup has been a success, it only comes around once every four years. The NFL is perpetual.

NBCUniversal is reportedly already eying the next round of World Cup rights. Given the news of a potential English-Spanish package, they could be a frontrunner, since they own Telemundo. That, coupled with reports of tension between FIFA and Fox before this year’s tournament, could signal that the 2030 tournament will have a new home in the U.S. despite how successful things have gone for Fox this time around.

You can also read Thompson’s thoughts on the Fox-Roku arrangement here.

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