FIFA has launched the bidding process for the US media rights to the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, targeting a combined $4 billion following the commercial and audience success of this year’s tournament.

“Our guiding star in this process will be flexibility. We are very interested in hearing what our potential partners need in terms of approach, format and how they want to reach the best audience for their specific needs,” FIFA chief business officer Romy Gai told Bloomberg.

FIFA expects the process to attract significant interest from both traditional media companies and streaming platforms.

ESPN, Netflix and YouTube have already expressed interest in taking part in the bidding process and challenging Fox, FIFA’s long-standing broadcast partner in the United States.

Fox paid $485 million for the English-language broadcast rights to this year’s World Cup in the US.

Fox Sports and NBC Universal’s Telemundo, which held the Spanish-language rights, generated a combined $1.2 billion in advertising sales, according to data from Guideline.

The 2026 World Cup was the most-watched edition in US history, with the final, in which Spain defeated Argentina, attracting a record audience of more than 62 million viewers.

FIFA will also assess whether to retain hydration breaks, which proved as controversial as they were lucrative for broadcasters, helping extend advertising windows and, consequently, boost commercial revenues.

“Hydration breaks were introduced to protect players’ health, and that will guide us going forward,” Gai said.