NBC seeks – NBC’s internal discussions have opened the door to a push for both English- and Spanish-language U.S. World Cup rights for 2030, with Telemundo executives suggesting the company could end up holding both packages. The decision lands in a market shaped by Fox’s
The World Cup rights for both English- and Spanish-language broadcasts in the U.S. are set to go to the highest bidder for 2030, and NBC is already considering how to position itself. The idea is simple on paper but expensive in practice: instead of keeping the Spanish-language package through Telemundo and Peacock. NBC may try to secure both sets of rights.
NBC currently holds the Spanish version of the World Cup through Telemundo and Peacock. and the company has had internal discussions about extending that arrangement. Telemundo executive Joaquin Duro said the end result could be NBC walking away with both packages. “Definitely something that we are beyond exploring,” Duro told Sports Business Journal.
The math behind that ambition is clear. Fox is paying $485 million for the English version of the 2026 World Cup. a deal that has quickly looked like a bargain. Fox and Telemundo averaged 9.7 million total viewers per game during the 2026 group stage. with the split coming in at 5.05 million for the English broadcast and 4.6 million for the Spanish broadcast. Those numbers add pressure to the next rights cycle: if both audiences can be captured strongly. winning both packages stops being a luxury and starts looking like a strategy.
The next layer of urgency comes from the wider TV landscape. The NFL’s next wave of broadcast deals is expected to begin in 2030. but only if the NFL exercises its prerogative to shorten existing contracts by four years. Any partner aiming to land the World Cup rights at the same time would need to dig deep. because the cost of the World Cup will be significant. Still. the outlay is expected to be balanced by the advertising revenue and other benefits that come with televising the tournament’s most valuable moments.
For NBC. the question now isn’t whether it values the World Cup—its current Spanish rights show it already does. The tension is whether the company will pay for dominance in both languages in 2030. or stay with what it already controls as the bidding ramps up around a market that’s proven it can deliver big viewing numbers.
NBC Telemundo Peacock 2030 World Cup rights Spanish-language broadcast English-language broadcast Joaquin Duro Fox 2026 World Cup NFL broadcast deals
So NBC just gonna buy everything again? Cool cool.
I don’t get why they need both English and Spanish… wouldn’t one channel just do the job? Also $485 million is insane, like who even has that money lol.
If they win both packages that means everyone else is screwed, right? But also people keep saying Fox’s deal was a “bargain” so maybe NBC won’t even try… or they’ll try and then Peacock will somehow lose the Spanish games? Idk.
This feels like they’re copying the NFL rights thing like “we’ll just own it all.” But wait, the article says NFL can shorten contracts in 2030, so are we talking about the World Cup or the NFL?? Either way, seems like TV companies are gonna charge more and we’ll still have to pay for like 3 apps.