FIFA Extends Fox's World Cup Broadcast Rights Until 2026

Fox already won the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the United States and Canada, but on Thursday FIFA announced in a press release that the broadcaster has also earned the rights for the 2026 event.

The press release offers more details:

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The extended agreements cover the following tournaments in addition to the 2026 FIFA World Cup: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 and 2025, FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023 and 2025, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023 and 2025, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024, FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2024 and 2026, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 and 2026, and FIFA Confederations Cup 2025.

'These agreements guarantee wide distribution for FIFA tournaments across the US and Canada. Together, we will be able to further promote football in North America and build on the impressive interest shown by audiences in these major territories during the 2014 FIFA World Cup' said FIFA Director of TV Niclas Ericson.

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Fox will be taking over the broadcast rights from ESPN, which was universally lauded for its coverage during the 2014 World Cup. That Fox already managed to poach soccer analyst and former player Alexi Lalas away from ESPN might be a sign of things to come in the next few years, as Fox looks to bolster its crop of analysts in preparation for the 2018 World Cup.

The move comes as a surprise, because there was no bidding on the rights to the 2026 tournament, as has typically been the case when a deal is set to expire. 

ESPN and Univision both released statements (per World Soccer Talk) that they were not included in recent negotiations.

Lalas wondered if the decision had anything to do with the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar:

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated speculates that the decision has less to do with the location than the time of year when the 2022 World Cup will take place:

Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly Sports noted that rival networks have a right to complain about the decision:

Certainly, the 2018 tournament is a chance for Fox to reestablish a major foothold in soccer coverage in the United States and Canada. Losing the Premier League to NBC was a pretty major blow for the company, and while they still have the rights to events like the Champions League and Europa League, among others, gaining the World Cup was a huge deal for Fox.

And now, it will remain a huge deal all the way through 2026.