Exclusive rights for Spain and Andorra

Netflix said on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that it had secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Andorra. The platform will show all 104 matches live, with programmes before each game, during the interval and after the final whistle, plus a daily highlights show on match days. The company called it its first men's international tournament broadcast in Spain. The 2030 edition is hosted jointly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco in summer 2030, and Spain arrives as reigning world champions. Netflix's chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, said the company wanted fans in Spain and Andorra to have every match on the platform. The financial terms were not disclosed, though sector sources cited by El Confidencial put the price above 100 million euros.

Free matches and a free-to-air partner

Under the deal, Netflix will offer one match per matchday for free in Spain. The company also said a national free-to-air broadcaster will take a package including every Spain match, both semifinals and the final, which it said would guarantee wide availability across the country. That broadcaster has not yet been named, and Netflix said further details would follow. The company's statement on the free matches reads:

As part of the agreement, one match per matchday will be available for free in Spain.

eldiario reports that Spanish law protects free-to-air broadcasts of sporting events of general interest. Observador notes that the 2026 tournament followed a different pattern, with RTVE showing selected matches on free TV while the paid platform DAZN carried the full coverage. eldiario adds that RTVE broadcast 33 matches in 2026 after buying a package from Mediapro.

Mediapro loses its place in the sales chain

El Confidencial reports that Mediapro was left out of the chain that sells World Cup rights in Spain, a role it had played by reselling rights to Movistar after TVE bought them first. Sources cited by the outlet say the loss amounts to close to 10 million euros in revenue. Mediapro's sources play down the impact, saying it would fall in 2030. The company, which is set to be renamed Imagina from 1 January 2027, hopes to negotiate with Netflix for the production of the matches. It is chaired by Sergio Oslé, with Carlos Núñez as chief executive, and a Chinese fund, Orient Hontai, now holds majority control.

Pay-TV rivals and Netflix's sports push

El Mundo writes that the deal shakes up the television football market and gives Movistar Plus+ and DAZN a new competitor. It adds that the deal does not mean Netflix will immediately bid against them for LaLiga or Champions League rights. Netflix had previously streamed NFL games, MLB matches, WWE shows and boxing. Fanpage reports that in December 2024 the platform secured US and Canada rights to the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cups. Observador notes that a standard Netflix subscription in Spain currently costs 14.99 euros, and that Netflix has not yet said how the deal will extend beyond Spain and Andorra.