Netflix takes a giant leap forward with the rights to the 2030 World Cup in Spain

A move that has been mooted on several occasions. And one that is now becoming a reality. Netflix is making its entry into the inner circles of European football. The platform has acquired the rights to broadcast all 104 matches of the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Andorra. This marks a significant step up for the global streaming giant. What’s more, it is in the country that will be one of the co-hosts, alongside Portugal and Morocco. But this is a showcase that, inevitably, extends far beyond the borders of the Spanish market.

The centenary edition will be covered in full on Netflix: live broadcasts, pre- and post-match programmes, in-depth analysis and daily highlights. The agreement provides for one match a day to be broadcast free-to-air and a package for a national television channel featuring all the matches in Spain, the semi-finals and the final. (As was the case for the 2026 World Cup with TVE and DAZN).

Netflix’s move promises to have an impact on the media ecosystem. Broadcasters – and above all those accustomed to competing for the broadcasting rights to football and other sports, such as Sky – now know they are dealing with another major player, one that has emerged from the world of streaming. The streaming sector, moreover, is becoming increasingly crowded when it comes to live sport: Amazon, with its Prime Video service, is covering the Champions League (the best match on a Wednesday or Tuesday, depending on the market) in Italia, Germany, the UK and Ireland. But Paramount+ has also secured the Champions League rights in the UK and Germany from 2027, with the exception of the Tuesday fixture, which remains with Amazon. DAZN broadcast all the matches of the 2026 World Cup and holds the rights to, amongst others, the Italian Serie A. Warner Bros Discovery – now part of Skydance following the merger with David Ellison and Gerry Cardinale’s Paramount – has built part of its offering around the Olympics in partnership with Eurosport.

Now the market leader in video streaming is entering the fray. It must be said: this is not a sudden change of heart. American football, wrestling, boxing and tennis have already paved the way. Furthermore, Netflix has agreements with FIFA for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups in the United States and Canada. But men’s football in Europe raises the bar.

And who knows to what extent this expansionist ambition is, at this stage, driven by necessity. At Bloomberg Screentime 2026, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, admitted that the platform ‘is not growing as we would like’. Global viewing hours rose by just 2 per cent in the first half of the year. This reflects a slowdown in screen time, not a measure of subscriber numbers. Yet it is precisely that attention that everyone is vying for.