Jimmy Pitaro Weighs in on Disney’s World Cup Interest
Earlier this month, we reported that The Walt Disney Company had set its sights on acquiring the television rights to the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups.
This year, Fox paid $485 million for the English-language rights to the tournament, while Telemundo paid $600 million for the Spanish-language rights.
Photo: ESPN
At this point, bids for the U.S. rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup are expected to reach between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. Unlike this year’s tournament, however, FIFA will sell the English- and Spanish-language rights together as a single package.
Photo: Fox
Now, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has weighed in on the prospect.
Will Disney Bid for the World Cup?
During a CNBC-hosted conference on Thursday, Pitaro addressed ESPN’s interest in the World Cup.
Photo: Disney
“We had the World Cup for two decades, and it was a big part of ESPN’s identity and DNA,” he said (via Deadline). “Of course we’re interested.”
Reflecting on this year’s ratings, Pitaro was understandably unsurprised.
Photo: Greater Houston Partnership
“This has been a juggernaut,” Pitaro said. “We’re not at all surprised by it. If you look at the time zones, the fact that these games are, you know, where they’re taking place around this country. The U.S. did a fantastic job, and I’ve been watching it religiously.”
The Pros and Cons
Unlike the 2026 tournament, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will take place in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, meaning American audiences will face a significant time difference.
Photo: The New Yorker
Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Nevertheless, Disney clearly wants to broadcast the upcoming tournaments. The fact that the company could air the games on linear networks, ESPN and ABC, could make them an appealing partner for FIFA.
Photo: FIFA
It will be fascinating to see how things develop from here.
Photo: MickeyBlog
