Global soccer’s governing body, FIFA, has initiated its tender process for UK broadcast rights to the men's FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2030. This move marks one of the most significant tenders launched by FIFA to date for media rights.
The upcoming tournaments are set to be larger than ever before. The World Cup is expanding from a roster of 32 teams at Qatar two years ago to a whopping 48 teams and an impressive total of 104 World Cup matches in 2026. This expansion means significantly more inventory for broadcasters to purchase.
The tournament will take place across Mexico, the US, and Canada in 2026 while six countries will host it in total for its edition in 2030. Interested entities can request relevant invitations to tender (ITT) by contacting uk-media-rights@fifa.org. The deadline for bid submissions is set at sharp at11:00am Central European Time on April 29th.
BBC again in race but new candidates rising for action
For Qatar's tournament held back in 2022, coverage was provided by BBC - UK’s public-service broadcaster - along with commercial network ITV. These networks had struck a joint deal covering rights not only for that year but also extended their contract till Russia's edition held back in June of 2018.
At that time, this deal was understood to be worth £200 million ($290 million). With an expanded scope this time around, expectations are high regarding potential deals' value.
The current tender covers media rights across England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. Among these nations England and Wales were successful qualifiers for Qatar's tournament held back in 2022.
FIFA looking to finalise deals in Europe soon
In March earlier this year, FIFA kicked off media rights tenders for the upcoming tournaments in six European markets. This move to the UK is a continuation of that process, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months.
The expansion of the World Cup tournaments and their media rights tenders are significant for sports fans and sports betting fans alike. With more matches to watch and bet on, these developments could potentially revolutionize how we engage with one of the world's most beloved sporting events.
