FIFA said Friday it has awarded the U.S. television rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Fox Sports Group
and to NBC Universal's Telemundo, signaling a major switch in soccer's
TV platforms in the U.S. and reportedly garnering more than a billion
dollars from its new partners.
In a release on the FIFA website, the soccer governing body said Fox and Telemundo also will have the rights to the 2015 and 1019 Women's World Cups and other FIFA events beginning in 2015.
FIFA did not disclose the amounts of the winning bids, but Sports Business Daily quoted sources as saying Fox agreed to pay $450 million to $500 million for the U.S. TV and radio rights to the events in Russia and Qatar, and that Telemundo paid about $600 million for Spanish TV rights. Fútbol de Primera Radio won the Spanish radio rights.
Fox and Telemundo outbid ESPN and Univision, which paid a reported $100 million and $325 million, respectively, for the 2010 and 2014 events.
"We are truly honored for FIFA to award the Fox Sports Media Group these extremely important rights," Fox Sports chairman David Hill said in a statement. "The FIFA World Cup and Women's World Cup are two of the world's biggest competitions. It is our privilege to be entrusted with these rights in the United States from 2015 through 2022."
The decision is a significant boost for Telemundo, which owns KTMD (Channel 47) in Houston and traditionally lags significantly in the Nielsen ratings behind Univision and its locally owned station KXLN (Channel 45).
"This landmark deal for Telemundo represents perhaps the greatest milestone in its history," said Lauren Zalaznick, chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks.
The network said Andres Cantor, who is known for his elongated goal calls, will be Telemundo's lead play-by-play voice.
In a release on the FIFA website, the soccer governing body said Fox and Telemundo also will have the rights to the 2015 and 1019 Women's World Cups and other FIFA events beginning in 2015.
FIFA did not disclose the amounts of the winning bids, but Sports Business Daily quoted sources as saying Fox agreed to pay $450 million to $500 million for the U.S. TV and radio rights to the events in Russia and Qatar, and that Telemundo paid about $600 million for Spanish TV rights. Fútbol de Primera Radio won the Spanish radio rights.
Fox and Telemundo outbid ESPN and Univision, which paid a reported $100 million and $325 million, respectively, for the 2010 and 2014 events.
"We are truly honored for FIFA to award the Fox Sports Media Group these extremely important rights," Fox Sports chairman David Hill said in a statement. "The FIFA World Cup and Women's World Cup are two of the world's biggest competitions. It is our privilege to be entrusted with these rights in the United States from 2015 through 2022."
The decision is a significant boost for Telemundo, which owns KTMD (Channel 47) in Houston and traditionally lags significantly in the Nielsen ratings behind Univision and its locally owned station KXLN (Channel 45).
"This landmark deal for Telemundo represents perhaps the greatest milestone in its history," said Lauren Zalaznick, chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks.
The network said Andres Cantor, who is known for his elongated goal calls, will be Telemundo's lead play-by-play voice.
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