With UFC off the market and MLB poised to wrap up negotiations on ESPN’s expiring package, the U.S. sports television rights marketplace will soon quiet down. But there are still notable properties on the market. SMW contributor Jessie Karangu takes a look at what’s left and the potential favorites.
FIFA World Cup
After the United States hosts the World Cup for the first time in 32 years next summer, rights to soccer’s biggest tournament will be up for grabs beginning in 2030 — and there is no telling how much the 2026 Cup could help increase the popularity of soccer in the United States. Here is a look at the contenders.
Paramount/CBS: Under David Ellison, Paramount has already shown that it is not afraid to spend money for content that will help their streaming service accrue value. Paramount+ is already home to numerous leagues around the world and counts UEFA Champions League games as one of its biggest pillars. Adding the World Cup would make Paramount+ a must have for every soccer fan if it wasn’t already.
FOX: The incumbent has not only been the exclusive English-language home of the World Cup and Women’s World Cup since 2015, it also carries an annual ‘summer of soccer’ — featuring various worldwide tournaments over the years such as Copa America, the Gold Cup and Euro — that has garnered solid ratings during time slots that would normally be filled with syndicated programming. It is the sole English language linear rights holder of MLS games and has a new streaming service, Fox One, that is focused on live events. Fox seems like a network FIFA would be happy to continue doing business with. It is clear that even outside of World Cup years, Fox is invested in promoting soccer in the United States.
NBC: Peacock has been one of the biggest streaming beneficiaries of live sports. 1.79 million people signed up for the service after the 2024 Olympics, according to Antenna. The streamer has already carried World Cup matches thanks to NBCU owning Spanish language rights via Telemundo. Purchasing the English language rights would give soccer fans another reason to subscribe and could help the service retain viewers who may otherwise drop out after the NFL and NBA seasons.
DAZN/TNT Sports: FIFA recently signed an expansive deal with DAZN to launch a 24/7 streaming network dedicated to FIFA soccer and initiatives. This comes after DAZN served as the main broadcaster of the FIFA Club World Cup. Could FIFA reward DAZN for believing in the Club World Cup concept that was initially panned by many soccer fans? DAZN sublicensed CWC games to TNT Sports and in a recent discussion with Sportico, president Walker Jacobs expressed interest in co-bidding on upcoming sports rights.
Netflix: As a future rightsholder of the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup, it would make sense to take on the men’s tournament to create a yearly behavioral pattern and become an official hub for international soccer. Just as Netflix is doing with the Women’s World Cup, the service could explore a documentary following the sport’s top players leading into the tournament and fuel even more anticipation before the world’s nations face off.
Amazon: While the streamer’s only investment in soccer stateside is the NWSL, Prime Video is a major force to be reckoned with overseas. In the United Kingdom, it owns the rights to the UEFA Champions League as well as World Cup qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League. Given its experience in broadcasting world class soccer, could Prime Video step in to broadcast the beautiful game in the States? With 181 million subscribers and more sports fans becoming accustomed to the platform with NFL and NBA coverage, no streamer has a greater foothold in live sports.
Apple: Despite its reputation for ingenuity, the tech giant has struggled to become a behemoth in the sports media world. Its MLS Season Pass streaming service has been a disappointment with only an average of 120,000 unique viewers per game and one could question whether it will recoup its $2.5 billion investment any time soon. A rights package with FIFA would immensely boost their soccer streaming service and it would provide a great transition for the MLS as newfound World Cup fans will look for the soccer dopamine they’ll be missing once the tournament is over.
NFL
As part of the NFL’s deal to acquire a 10 percent stake in ESPN, the league was able to free up rights to four regular season games that previously aired on NFL Network to potentially re-sell to the marketplace in 2026. Here are some possible contenders:
YouTube: Google’s video giant has shown major interest in live sporting events. It is airing this year’s Week 1 game from Brazil, owns rights to Sunday Ticket, and has a live sports history with MLB games. As another way to make its offering even sweeter for sports fans and to promote paid services such as Primetime Channels and YouTube TV, it could make sense for the streamer to pick up a couple of more games during the season.
Apple: A soon to be announced deal with F1, an MLB Friday night package and an MLS streaming service are the pillars of Apple’s sports offerings. Based on the glance we recently got into the MLS’ ratings, it’s clear that sports fans have not been clamoring to subscribe to Apple TV+ for games. A tandem of NFL games could help draw some new attention and exposure to the sports Apple provides for fans throughout the year and forges a deeper connection between Apple and the league. Apple is currently the Super Bowl halftime show sponsor.
Fox/CBS: The league’s Sunday afternoon schedule has been spliced and diced in so many ways over the years and the two broadcasters who have had to pay the biggest price are Fox and CBS. The league is a small stakeholder in CBS now and is a long-time partner of Fox. It may make sense to just send these games back to CBS and Fox to enhance their Sunday afternoon lineups, which are the highest rated NFL windows of the week.
Both networks have a history of spending extra money to secure more NFL inventory. Before its current run on Amazon Prime, “Thursday Night Football” previously aired on both CBS and Fox while CBS has paid for extra playoff games in the past. As Puck’s Matt Belloni also points out, the league wants bidding for their games to stay competitive. To ensure traditional TV companies are thriving and tech companies are kept at bay from desiring too much control, it makes sense to continue providing as many quality games to CBS and Fox as possible.
NBC: When Peacock aired an exclusive playoff game in 2024, 2.8 million people signed up for the app, according to Antenna. As mentioned before, Peacock understands the power live sports can have for a streaming service. The streamer has struggled to achieve profitability and may feel a financial crunch as its NBA deal goes into effect. This could be an easier way to expand their sports palette without breaking the bank. NFL games don’t come cheap though. In 2024, Amazon paid $120 million for one playoff game.
Preakness Stakes
The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is signed to NBC through 2026. The race itself is undergoing changes and will be run in Laurel, Maryland rather than Baltimore in NBC’s final year as Pimlico Racecourse gets a makeover. The new deal would begin under the first year of the track’s transformation.
FOX: As a major stakeholder in FanDuel’s parent company, Fox has a lot of interest in horse racing. Initially, discussions with Barstool’s Dave Portnoy and Fox centered around horse racing coverage — not college football, according to Puck’s John Ourand. It already owns the rights to the Belmont Stakes. Adding the Preakness would give Fox the chance to own horse racing in case a potential Triple Crown winner was in the realm of possibility.
NBC: After a recent decision to move the Kentucky Oaks to primetime, it is clear NBC is interested in maximizing its horse racing content to the fullest extent. Re-signing a deal for the Preakness gives NBC the opportunity to potentially move the second leg of the Triple Crown to primetime and make horse racing even more of a national pastime.
NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League has a chance to re-evaluate its TV situation after the 2027 season. With the additions of Denver and Boston, the league is only getting bigger, and with WNBA rights off the board, it may be the best option for TV networks and tech companies looking to invest in women’s sports.
Incumbents: Each of the rightsholders that are currently invested in the sport (ESPN, CBS, Ion, Amazon) have developed great rapport with league officials, working together to amplify the league — particularly in 2024 after Alex Morgan retired. The NWSL holds prominent spots in each network’s sports lineup so it wouldn’t be a surprise if what’s old is new again.
Versant: In an interview with CNBC, Versant’s sports president Matt Hong explained how a core strategy of the USA Network/Golf Channel owner was to populate women’s sports on their platforms. It is already the home to LPGA golf and will air WNBA games beginning in 2026. NWSL seems like a natural fit. Players with the league could even participate in instructional videos that make up the foundation of their SportsEngine Play streaming service.
