FOX throws streaming hat in ring ahead of World Cup 2026
On its earnings call this week, FOX Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch revealed that the media giant is working on a direct-to-consumer streaming service that will launch before FIFA World Cup 2026.
While details are sparse, much of the programming from the FOX network will likely find its way onto the paid streaming service. That will likely include soccer matches shown on the over-the-air FOX network. With FOX having the rights to World Cup 2026, expect many of those games to stream on the new service as well as appear on over-the-air television. However, games appearing on FS1 and FS2 will probably not be on the new app so that FOX doesn’t break any of the carrier agreements FOX Corp has with cable providers who pay FOX to air that programming.
For soccer fans, after years of waiting, it means that we can finally have a paid streaming service from FOX.
More recently, FOX has used Tubi to stream select European qualifiers and Concacaf games. Tubi is a FAST channel (free ad-supported television) owned by FOX Corp, but its inclusion of commercials during live games isn’t ideal for soccer fans craving an uninterrupted viewing experience. It is, however, streaming this Sunday’s Super Bowl on Tubi, but given the number of commercial breaks a typical NFL game has, it won’t encounter the same issues that soccer fans have.
FOX had hoped to launch Venu as a joint venture with ESPN and WarnerBros Discovery in 2024, but those plans failed to materialize after Fubo won a court case preventing its launch. With Venu jettisoned, it means that FOX has to prepare its own streaming service. Otherwise, it’ll be left behind since all of the other four major TV networks in the United States (ABC, NBC, and CBS) already have their streaming services.
In FOX Sports’ history, it did previously offer direct-to-consumer streaming services (FOXSoccer.tv as well as FOX Soccer 2GO), but this will be the first time it offers sports and news programming on a paid app.
Murdoch didn’t mention pricing details, but shared that it’ll be “relatively low, certainly relative to what our peers have spent in this space.” The streaming service is expected to launch by the end of 2025.
Other than World Cup 2026, what soccer games from FOX would you like to see on the new streaming service? Let us know in the comments section below.