The FIFA World Cup will remain on SBS, with the network today confirming at its upfronts that it has secured exclusive Australian rights to the 2030 tournament.
The announcement officially confirms an agreement that was reported in July, with SBS having reached a deal with FIFA months earlier but not publicly confirming the rights at the time.
All 104 matches of the 2030 tournament will be available live and free across SBS, SBS2, SBS On Demand and SBS Audio.
SBS Managing Director Jane Palfreyman (main picture) said the FIFA World Cup remains an important part of the broadcaster’s offering, describing it as an event that brings Australians together across cultures and communities.
“SBS is without question the home of ‘the World Game’ in Australia and we are so pleased to retain the exclusive rights for 2030.”
“The FIFA World Cup™ is one of the few sporting events that truly brings Australians together across all cultures, languages and communities.”
The deal extends a relationship between SBS and FIFA that dates back to the 1986 World Cup, with the 2030 tournament marking 44 years of coverage.
It also represents another significant investment in the tournament for SBS. The broadcaster reportedly paid around $30 million for the Australian rights to the 2026 World Cup, although the cost of the 2030 deal has not been disclosed.
The decision follows a highly successful 2026 tournament for SBS, which reached more than 18 million Australians across its World Cup coverage.
SBS reported more than 209 million hours of consumption across its coverage, with around 55 per cent coming through digital platforms.
Its coverage included every match live, alongside shorter “mini match” versions in three, 12 and 30-minute formats through SBS On Demand.
SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp (above) said the 2030 tournament would be particularly significant given the broadcaster’s long history with the competition and the World Cup’s centenary celebrations.
“SBS has always approached the FIFA World Cup™ as much more than a sporting event.”
“Our job is to capture the football, the stories, the cultures and the emotion that make it unlike anything else in world sport.”
“We’re incredibly proud to have the opportunity to do that again in 2030.”
The 2030 tournament will also be one of the most unusual editions of the competition, with Morocco, Portugal and Spain hosting the main tournament while the opening three matches are staged in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the World Cup’s centenary.
It will be the first World Cup to span three continents and six host nations, with all six countries to qualify automatically.
The FIFA World Cup 2030 will be held across Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with the opening three matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
