Global sports media rights will reach $67.34 billion in 2026, up 9.6% from 2025, according to Deloitte's latest projection. The jump marks the steepest year-over-year increase since the post-pandemic normalization of 2022, driven by three anchors: the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, FIFA's first 48-team World Cup spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and a cluster of North American league renewals that quietly reset the floor for linear and streaming hybrid deals.
The $5.9 billion gain reflects structural changes beyond the usual Olympic bump. FIFA's expanded format adds 16 teams and 24 additional matches, stretching the tournament from 32 days to 39 and multiplying inventory for broadcasters negotiating across time zones. Early U.S. rights discussions suggest per-match CPMs are tracking 12-18% above the 2022 Qatar cycle, with streaming platforms now bidding directly against traditional networks rather than settling for shoulder programming. The Winter Olympics, meanwhile, return to a European time zone for the first time since 2018, unlocking prime-time inventory for both U.S. and Asian broadcasters willing to pay for live rather than tape-delayed feeds.
North American renewals carry the third pillar. The NBA's new $76 billion media deal, finalized in 2024 and kicking into higher annual payments in 2026, sets a new benchmark for per-game rights fees across major leagues. The NHL and MLS are both inside their negotiation windows for deals expiring in 2027 and 2026 respectively, and league executives are using the NBA's $2.8 billion annual average as a reference point in early conversations with Amazon, Apple, and legacy partners. One Western Conference executive noted his team's local streaming package is now being priced against comparable NBA inventory rather than last cycle's cable comps, a shift that effectively doubles the baseline ask.
What this means for team operators and allocators: the 9.6% growth rate is unlikely to repeat in 2027, but the new pricing floor is durable. Leagues negotiating beyond 2026 are banking on a hybrid model where streaming platforms cover innovation costs in exchange for exclusive windows, while linear partners pay for reach and shoulder inventory. The risk is bifurcation: top-tier properties capture the growth, while secondary leagues face compression as platforms consolidate spending. One family office sizing a Serie A minority stake is now modeling two scenarios—one where Italian soccer joins the top tier by 2028, another where it gets priced out of streaming altogether and reverts to regional cable.
Watch for FIFA to announce its U.S. streaming partner by mid-2025, likely Apple or Amazon given their infrastructure for multi-feed tournaments. The NHL is expected to finalize its deal by October 2025, with particular attention on whether ESPN retains exclusive playoff rights or concedes a split window to a tech platform. MLS is running a quieter process but will use NWSL's recent $240 million streaming deal with Amazon as a baseline for its own digital ask. Milan-Cortina's U.S. broadcast window will be set by June 2025, and the decision between NBC's renewal and a potential Apple bid will signal how much streaming platforms are willing to pay for live sports outside football and basketball.
The Winter Olympics open ceremonies are February 6, 2026. The World Cup final is July 19, 2026. By then, the market will know whether $67.3 billion was the peak or the floor.
The takeaway
**$67.3B** in 2026 sets a new pricing floor for hybrid deals; top-tier properties capture growth, secondary leagues face compression.
media rightsfifa world cupwinter olympicsstreamingvaluationsnba
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