More than 60 million viewers across the U.S. tuned into the 2026 men's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina last month, between Fox and Spanish-language rights holder Telemundo. How many will tune into Netflix's coverage of the 2027 women's World Cup final, as of now, remains arguably the biggest experiment for FIFA and the women's game — and a potential test case for the men.
Fox, the American broadcaster that has held the English-language rights for six editions of the men's and women's tournaments, will be off duty for the first time since 2014. The shift from one of the primary broadcasters in the United States to streaming giant Netflix is a seismic one that has inspired plenty of nerves among women's soccer fans. It also opens up the doors to reimagining the coverage of the sport's biggest moment.
No financials were disclosed when the deal was announced in 2024, though last week Bloomberg News reported that Netflix paid around $200 million for the two editions of the tournament. FIFA's decision to split up the men's and women's tournaments' media rights allowed the women's tournament to establish and develop its own commercial value. Fox shelled out $485 million for the 2026 men's World Cup alone. That price is expected to rise considerably for the next men's tournament. (FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has gone on record saying that the men's tournaments should, in part, remain free to air.)
Netflix has been making some bets of its own on live sports, picking and choosing where to acquire more events, including the MLB Home Run Derby, boxing and NFL holiday games. Netflix hit a high mark for the most-streamed NFL game thanks in part to Beyoncé's halftime show during a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans on Christmas Day 2024, with the stream peaking at 27 million during halftime.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters noted on an earnings call that live events have been key to driving sign-ups. Live programming has driven six out of the top 10 new subscriber sign-up days over the past five years.
#netflix #million #final
Fox, the American broadcaster that has held the English-language rights for six editions of the men's and women's tournaments, will be off duty for the first time since 2014. The shift from one of the primary broadcasters in the United States to streaming giant Netflix is a seismic one that has inspired plenty of nerves among women's soccer fans. It also opens up the doors to reimagining the coverage of the sport's biggest moment.
No financials were disclosed when the deal was announced in 2024, though last week Bloomberg News reported that Netflix paid around $200 million for the two editions of the tournament. FIFA's decision to split up the men's and women's tournaments' media rights allowed the women's tournament to establish and develop its own commercial value. Fox shelled out $485 million for the 2026 men's World Cup alone. That price is expected to rise considerably for the next men's tournament. (FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has gone on record saying that the men's tournaments should, in part, remain free to air.)
Netflix has been making some bets of its own on live sports, picking and choosing where to acquire more events, including the MLB Home Run Derby, boxing and NFL holiday games. Netflix hit a high mark for the most-streamed NFL game thanks in part to Beyoncé's halftime show during a game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans on Christmas Day 2024, with the stream peaking at 27 million during halftime.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters noted on an earnings call that live events have been key to driving sign-ups. Live programming has driven six out of the top 10 new subscriber sign-up days over the past five years.
#netflix #million #final
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