Netflix wins Spanish rights to 2030 World Cup in ground-breaking deal

Spain lifting this year’s Fifa World Cup

Bryan Berlin via CC

MIPCOM: Netflix has acquired the rights to the 2030 Fifa World Cup in Spain and Andorra, in an unprecedented deal for the streaming platform that will allow it to carry all 104 matches of the tournament.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the streamer, which will offer extensive coverage including programmes before each match, during halftime and after matches, in addition to daily summaries and special content in the lead-up to the tournament.

As part of the agreement, one match per day will be available to watch for free in Spain.

In addition, Netflix will offer a national free-to-air television network a package of matches that will include all of the Spanish national team’s matches, the two semi-finals and the final.

“Few events unite people as much as a World Cup. This year, I was in the stadium when Spain lifted the trophy and I experienced firsthand the passion, the pride, and the stories that end up becoming part of a country’s culture and last in the memory for generations,” said Bela Bajaria, chief content officer at Netflix here in Cannes.

“Now that Spain will be one of the host countries in 2030, we are thrilled to offer all the matches on Netflix to fans in Spain and Andorra. For Spanish football fans, welcoming the world as reigning champions and being able to follow all the matches on Netflix will make this a truly unique occasion.”

Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström added: “We are delighted to continue strengthening our partnership with Netflix with an eye toward the 2030 World Cup. This will be a very special edition of the tournament, and we look forward to working together to bring it to fans in Spain and Andorra.

“We share the goal of bringing football even closer to the fans so that as many people as possible can enjoy the excitement of this competition.”

The agreement adds to those previously announced between Netflix and Fifa for the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup, the rights to which it acquired for the US and Canada.

It also reinforces Netflix’s growing commitment to live sports, with an offering that includes events from the NFL, MLB, WWE and some top boxing and mixed martial arts fights.

The 2030 World Cup will mark the competition’s centenary and will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal. Meanwhile, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also host commemorative centenary matches.