The 2026 FIFA World Cup has landed amid a broader question about how soccer reaches American audiences: whether this summer's tournament could be the last World Cup edition carried widely on traditional broadcast television in the United States.
That debate appears tied directly to what comes next. The 2027 Women's World Cup is set to stream on Netflix, a shift that could signal where FIFA rights may head in future cycles. Fans watching the 2026 event on Fox have already seen how the presentation is evolving, including side by side commercials during hydration breaks that reportedly did not arrive until after 28 games of the tournament.
Viewership patterns may also be changing. Fox World Cup ratings are said to have received a 25% boost from out of home viewing, with roughly 3.6 million viewers reportedly watching the United States' opening match against Paraguay outside the home. Streaming pathways are expanding as well, with content creator iShowSpeed said to have struck a deal with FIFA, Fox, and YouTube for live World Cup simulcasts on the Fox One app or the Fox One Prime Channel on YouTube. ESPN is also reportedly utilizing NFL Network studios for its World Cup coverage.
Megan Rapinoe has publicly criticized the tournament's hydration breaks, calling them antithetical to the sport.
It's really an unnatural part of the game.
None of that confirms the 2026 World Cup will be the final broadcast edition, but the Netflix move for 2027 and the growing streaming footprint around this year's event have made the question impossible to ignore.
