Global spending on sports media rights climbed to $67.34 billion in 2026, a 9.6% jump in a single year (S&P Global Market Intelligence / Ampere Analysis, 2026). North America alone drove 52% of that total, led by the United States at $32.8 billion (S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2026). The money is concentrating at the top: the NBA’s new 11-year deal is worth $76 billion (CBS Sports, 2024), the NFL’s package runs near $110 billion through 2033 (NFL.com, 2021), and streaming platforms will spend a record $14.2 billion on sports in 2026 (Ampere Analysis / TheWrap, 2026). Yet the traditional pay-TV base funding those fees keeps shrinking, with 77.2 million US households now cord-cut versus 68.7 million still subscribing (Adwave, 2025). This analysis consolidates data from Ampere Analysis, SportBusiness, league and company deal disclosures, Deloitte, Nielsen, and 20 other primary sources to map where sports-rights money flows in 2026.
TL;DR
- Global sports media rights spend hit $67.34 billion in 2026, up 9.6% year over year (S&P Global Market Intelligence / Ampere Analysis, 2026).
- Global spend is forecast to top $78 billion by 2030, a 20% rise from 2025 (Ampere Analysis, 2025).
- SportBusiness values the 2025 global market at just under $58 billion, with football the top sport at $19.18 billion (SportBusiness, Global Media Report 2025).
- The NBA’s 11-year deal through 2035-36 is worth $76 billion, a 160% per-season jump (CBS Sports, 2024).
- The NFL’s rights total roughly $110 billion through 2033, about $10 billion a year (NFL.com, 2021).
- Streaming services will spend a record $14.2 billion on sports rights in 2026, up from $13.2 billion (Ampere Analysis / TheWrap, 2026).
- Amazon Prime Video became the top global sports-rights spender at $3.8 billion in 2026, passing DAZN (Deadline, 2026).
- Netflix’s Lions-Vikings game on Christmas 2025 drew 27.5 million US viewers, the most-streamed NFL game in US history (Variety / Nielsen, 2025).
- The WNBA’s 11-year rights package has grown to $3.1 billion, about 6.5 times the prior deal’s annual value (Front Office Sports, 2026).
- 77.2 million US households have cut the cord, outnumbering the 68.7 million still on traditional pay TV (Adwave, 2025).
- Women’s elite sports revenue is projected at $2.35 billion globally in 2025, up 25% (Deloitte, 2024).
1. Global Market Size and Growth
Sports rights keep growing even as the broader TV economy contracts, which is exactly why leagues hold pricing power. Ampere Analysis pegs global sports media rights spend at $67.34 billion in 2026, up 9.6% in a single year, and forecasts it will exceed $78 billion by 2030 (S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2026; Ampere Analysis, 2025). Two respected houses put the market at different levels, and the gap is methodological rather than an error: SportBusiness counts a narrower slice at just under $58 billion for 2025, while the wider Ampere definition implies a low-$60-billion figure that year. The US remains the growth engine, on track to pass $36 billion by 2030 (Ampere Analysis, 2025). Headline figures come from the S&P Global / Ampere summary and the SportBusiness Global Media Report 2025.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global sports media rights spend, 2026 | $67.34B (+9.6% YoY) | S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2026 |
| North America share of global spend, 2026 | 52% (US $32.8B, Canada $2.1B) | S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2026 |
| Global sports rights spend forecast, 2030 | $78B+ (+20% vs 2025) | Ampere Analysis, 2025 |
| Europe / Asia rights spend, 2025 to 2030 | Europe $18.3B to $21.3B; Asia $7.2B to $9.9B | Ampere Analysis, 2025 |
| Global sports media rights value, 2025 | ~$58B (+3.3% vs 2023’s ~$56B) | SportBusiness, Global Media Report 2025 |
| Most valuable sport by rights (football), 2025 | $19.18B | SportBusiness, Global Media Report 2025 |
Divergence note: The roughly $9 billion gap between Ampere and SportBusiness for 2025 reflects different property coverage and accounting, not a data conflict; treat any single market total as directional.
2. The Landmark US League Deals
The last rights cycle rewrote the ceiling for every major American league at once. The NBA’s new 11-year agreement through 2035-36 is worth $76 billion, a 160% increase in per-season value over its prior contract (CBS Sports, 2024). These are long-dated, guaranteed contracts that lock in league revenue for a decade regardless of ratings swings, which is why they anchor franchise valuations and, indirectly, the same betting economy tracked in our sports betting statistics. College conferences now rival pro leagues: the Big Ten’s deal alone runs past $7 billion. Deal terms come from the NBA media agreements release and CBS Sports, with NFL terms from NFL.com.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NFL media rights total (2023 to 2033) | NFL.com, 2021 | |
| NBA media rights total (2025-26 to 2035-36) | $76B over 11 years (+160% per season) | CBS Sports, 2024 |
| NBA annual payments by partner | Disney $2.6B, NBCU $2.5B, Amazon $1.8B | Sportcal, 2024 |
| WNBA media rights (11-year, from 2026) | $3.1B, $281M AAV (~6.5x prior $43M) | Front Office Sports, 2026 |
| Big Ten media rights (7-year) | $7B+ (~$1.2B per year) | ESPN, 2022 |
| SEC media rights (through 2034) | ~$1B per year | CBS Sports, 2025 |
| NFL per-game rights value | ~$37M (highest of any league) | ESPNcricinfo, 2022 (most recent available) |
Outlier note: The WNBA package started at a reported $2.2 billion in 2024 before expanding past $3.1 billion by 2026 as Paramount, Scripps and USA Network were added (Front Office Sports, 2026).
3. Streaming’s Takeover of Sports Rights
The buyer mix has flipped from cable networks to global tech platforms, and 2026 was the year a streamer took the crown. Streaming services will spend a record $14.2 billion on sports rights in 2026, up from $13.2 billion in 2025, with Amazon Prime Video passing DAZN as the single largest global spender (Ampere Analysis / TheWrap, 2026). Generalist streamers such as Amazon, Netflix, Apple and Paramount+ now represent 44% of streaming sports spend, up from 31% a year earlier, with YouTube TV (14%), Paramount+ (8%) and Netflix (5%) trailing Amazon (TheWrap, 2026). That migration is pulling live sport onto the same platforms carrying scripted content and the creator economy that overlaps with our esports statistics. Streaming spend figures come from TheWrap and Deadline, both citing Ampere Analysis.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming sports rights spend, 2026 | $14.2B (up from $13.2B in 2025) | Ampere Analysis / TheWrap, 2026 |
| Amazon Prime Video sports rights spend, 2026 | $3.8B (27% share, #1 globally) | Deadline, 2026 |
| Apple TV Formula 1 US rights (2026 to 2030) | ~$150M per year (vs ESPN’s $90M) | ESPN, 2025 |
| Apple TV MLS rights (from 2023) | $2.5B over 10 years (~$250M per year) | The Current, 2025 |
| Amazon NBA package (from 2025-26) | $1.8B per season | Sportcal, 2024 |
| Netflix NFL Christmas games | ~$75M per game (3-year deal) | NBC Sports, 2024 |
Context note: DAZN’s 2026 spend fell after it paid roughly $1 billion for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament not held in 2026 (TheWrap, 2026).
4. Live Sports Viewership Records
Rights fees only pay off if audiences follow the games onto new platforms, and 2025-26 showed they do. Netflix’s Lions-Vikings game on Christmas Day 2025 drew 27.5 million US viewers, the most-streamed NFL game in US history, and 30.5 million average-minute viewers worldwide (Variety / Nielsen, 2025; Netflix, 2025). Amazon and the NBA posted parallel records, evidence that streaming exclusivity is no longer suppressing reach the way skeptics feared. Netflix’s live push also spans the WWE library, whose weekly Raw broadcasts and the deeper catalog we cover in our Netflix statistics. Viewership figures are drawn from Variety, Netflix, Amazon Ads and the NBA.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix Lions-Vikings, Christmas 2025 (US) | 27.5M (most-streamed NFL game in US history) | Variety / Nielsen, 2025 |
| Lions-Vikings global average-minute audience | 30.5M | Netflix, 2025 |
| Netflix Christmas 2025 games average | 23.7M | NBC Sports, 2025 |
| Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, 2025 average | 15.3M (best TNF season in 20 years) | Amazon Ads, 2025 |
| Black Friday Bears-Eagles on Prime Video | 16.3M | Amazon Ads, 2025 |
| NBA 2025-26 regular-season average | 1.78M per game (+16% YoY, most viewers in 24 years) | NBA.com / Sports Media Watch, 2026 |
| WWE Raw on Netflix, weekly views | ~3.3M (WrestleMania 41: 3.6M) | Whats on Netflix, 2026 |
Trend note: The NBA reported roughly 170 million unique US viewers across ESPN/ABC, Amazon, NBC/Peacock and NBA TV in 2025-26, its most in 24 years (NBA.com, 2026).
5. Global Football and Cricket Rights
Outside the US, football and cricket set the ceiling, and both are cashing new record cycles. The Premier League sold its 2025-26 to 2028-29 domestic rights for a record 6.7 billion pounds (about $8.4 billion), roughly 1.675 billion pounds a year (Outlook India / Premier League, 2024). Cricket’s IPL and Europe’s UEFA competitions show how digital and multi-market bidding now inflate values that were flat a decade ago. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted in North America, adds a one-off spike in US rights fees. Deal terms come from Outlook India, Yahoo Sports, ESPNcricinfo and HITC.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League domestic rights (2025-26 to 2028-29) | 6.7B pounds (~$8.4B), ~1.675B pounds per year | Outlook India / Premier League, 2024 |
| Premier League combined domestic + international | record 13.2B pounds+ per cycle | FootballTransfers, 2026 |
| UEFA club competitions rights (2024-27) | ~5B euros per season | Yahoo Sports, 2025 |
| UEFA global deals, 19 markets (2027-2031) | ~$5.9B per year | Yahoo Sports, 2025 |
| IPL media rights (2023-2027) | $6.2B (48,390 crore rupees) | ESPNcricinfo, 2022 |
| IPL per-match value | ~$16.8M (2nd-highest of any league) | ESPNcricinfo, 2022 (most recent available) |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup US rights (Fox + Telemundo) | ~$1.25B combined (Fox $480M, Telemundo $465M) | HITC / SportsPro, 2026 |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup total media rights | $3.8B+ | HITC, 2026 |
Context note: IPL was the first Indian property to sell digital rights above TV, and its per-match value trails only the NFL globally (ESPNcricinfo, 2022).
6. The Cord-Cutting Backdrop
The rights boom sits atop a shrinking foundation, which is the core tension of the whole business. An estimated 77.2 million US households had cut the cord by 2025, surpassing the 68.7 million still paying for traditional TV, a historic crossover (Adwave, 2025). Pay-TV penetration slipped below 50% in late 2025 even as streaming took 47.5% of total US TV usage, more than cable and broadcast combined, which pushes leagues to chase streaming dollars while their legacy cash cows decline. That is the same structural shift documented in our video streaming statistics. Sources include the Adwave cord-cutting tracker, The Desk and SportsPro on NFL revenue.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US households that have cut the cord, 2025 | 77.2M (vs 68.7M still on pay TV) | Adwave, 2025 |
| US pay-TV subscriber loss, Q3 2025 (YoY) | -5.8% | Adwave, 2025 |
| US pay-TV penetration, Q4 2025 | below 50% | The Desk / MoffettNathanson, 2025 |
| Streaming share of total US TV usage | 47.5% (cable 20.2%, broadcast 21.4%) | Nielsen, The Gauge (via Inside Radio), 2025 |
| NFL total revenue, FY2024 | $23B+ (+14.1%) | SportsPro, 2025 |
| NFL revenue shared per team, FY2024 | $416M (+8.9%) | SportsPro, 2025 |
Outlier note: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has set a $25 billion annual revenue target by 2027, underlining how central media rights remain to league economics (SportsPro, 2025).
7. Women’s Sports Rights Surge
The fastest growth rate in the market is not in any legacy league. Women’s elite sports are projected to generate $2.35 billion globally in 2025, up 25% from a record $1.88 billion in 2024, and are forecast to top $3 billion in 2026, a 340% rise since 2022 (Deloitte, 2024; Deloitte, 2025). Media rights are the sharpest lever: the NWSL’s rights value jumped 40-fold in 2024, and the WNBA’s new deal roughly triples its prior annual value. From a low base these gains still trail the men’s majors in absolute terms, but the multiples are unmatched. Figures come from Deloitte, ESPN and McKinsey.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s elite sports global revenue, 2025 | $2.35B (+25% vs 2024) | Deloitte / ESPN, 2024 |
| Women’s elite sports revenue, 2024 (record) | $1.88B | Deloitte / ESPN, 2024 |
| Women’s elite sports revenue forecast, 2026 | $3B+ (+340% since 2022) | Deloitte, 2025 |
| WNBA media rights AAV (new deal, from 2026) | $200M (>3x prior $60M) | Deloitte, 2025 |
| NWSL media rights AAV increase, 2024 | 40x | Deloitte, 2025 |
| Women’s sports viewer hours, 2024 | ~370M (+430% vs 2021) | Deloitte, 2025 |
| US women’s sports rights-holder value by 2030 | $2.5B opportunity | McKinsey, 2025 |
Context note: The WNBA’s expanded package (see Section 2) later grew past $3.1 billion in total value as more partners joined (Front Office Sports, 2026).
Summary: Sports Media Rights by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global sports media rights spend, 2026 | $67.34B (+9.6%) | S&P Global Market Intelligence, 2026 |
| Global sports rights spend forecast, 2030 | $78B+ | Ampere Analysis, 2025 |
| Global sports media rights value, 2025 | ~$58B | SportBusiness, 2025 |
| Most valuable sport by rights (football), 2025 | $19.18B | SportBusiness, 2025 |
| NFL media rights total (2023 to 2033) | NFL.com, 2021 | |
| NBA media rights total (2025 to 2036) | $76B over 11 years | CBS Sports, 2024 |
| WNBA media rights total (from 2026) | $3.1B ($281M AAV) | Front Office Sports, 2026 |
| Premier League domestic rights (2025-29) | 6.7B pounds (~$8.4B) | Outlook India, 2024 |
| UEFA club competitions rights (2024-27) | ~5B euros per season | Yahoo Sports, 2025 |
| IPL media rights (2023-2027) | $6.2B | ESPNcricinfo, 2022 |
| Streaming sports rights spend, 2026 | $14.2B | Ampere Analysis / TheWrap, 2026 |
| Amazon Prime Video sports rights spend, 2026 | $3.8B (#1 globally) | Deadline, 2026 |
| Apple TV Formula 1 US rights (2026-2030) | ~$150M per year | ESPN, 2025 |
| Netflix Lions-Vikings, Christmas 2025 (US) | 27.5M viewers | Variety / Nielsen, 2025 |
| Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, 2025 average | 15.3M | Amazon Ads, 2025 |
| NBA 2025-26 regular-season average | 1.78M per game (+16%) | NBA.com, 2026 |
| US households that have cut the cord, 2025 | 77.2M | Adwave, 2025 |
| Streaming share of US TV usage | 47.5% | Nielsen, The Gauge, 2025 |
| Women’s elite sports global revenue, 2025 | $2.35B (+25%) | Deloitte, 2024 |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup US rights (Fox + Telemundo) | ~$1.25B | HITC / SportsPro, 2026 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered from published market-research reports, league and company deal disclosures, broadcaster viewership releases, government-adjacent audience datasets, and consultancy studies published between 2022 and 2026, prioritizing full-year 2025 and 2026 figures and cross-referencing global market totals across two or more firms where estimates diverged.
- S&P Global Market Intelligence / Ampere Analysis, Global Sports Rights 2026 (2026)
- Ampere Analysis, Global Sports Rights Media Spend to Exceed $78bn in 2030 (2025)
- SportBusiness, Global Media Report 2025 (2025)
- NFL, Long-Term Media Distribution Agreements Through 2033 (2021)
- CBS Sports, NBA 11-Year $76 Billion Media Deal (2024)
- NBA, Media Agreements Through 2035-36 (2024)
- Sportcal, NBA 11-Year Rights Deals With Disney, NBCU, Amazon (2024)
- Front Office Sports, WNBA Rights Deal Balloons Past $3 Billion (2026)
- ESPN, Big Ten 7-Year $7 Billion Media Rights Agreement (2022)
- TheWrap, Streamers Will Spend $14.2 Billion on Sports Rights in 2026 (2026)
- Deadline, Prime Video Top Streaming Sports Rights Spender (2026)
- ESPN, Formula 1 Announces Apple TV US Broadcast Deal (2025)
- The Current, US Streaming Sports Rights Guide (2025)
- NBC Sports, Netflix NFL Christmas Games Rights Fee (2024)
- Variety, Netflix NFL Christmas Ratings (2025)
- Netflix, NFL Christmas Day Games Average Over 30 Million Global Viewers (2025)
- Amazon Ads, Thursday Night Football 2025 Viewership (2025)
- NBA, 2025-26 Regular Season Viewership Highs (2026)
- Whats on Netflix, WWE on Netflix 18 Months In (2026)
- Outlook India, Premier League Domestic Rights 2025-26 to 2028-29 (2024)
- Yahoo Sports, UEFA Global Media Rights Approaching $6B (2025)
- ESPNcricinfo, IPL 2023-2027 Rights Deal (2022)
- HITC, 2026 World Cup Broadcasting Deals (2026)
- Adwave, Cord-Cutting Statistics Q4 2025 (2025)
- The Desk, US Pay-TV Penetration Falls Below 50% (2025)
- SportsPro, NFL Revenue Cleared $23bn for 2024 (2025)
- Deloitte, Women’s Elite Sports Exceed Expectations (2024)
- ESPN, 2025 Women’s Sports Revenue Projected to Hit $2.35B (2024)
- McKinsey, Closing the Monetization Gap in Women’s Sports (2025)
Data watch: Several anchor sources refresh on predictable cycles. Ampere Analysis and S&P Global Market Intelligence update their sports-rights spend estimates at least annually, so 2027 figures are due through 2027. SportBusiness publishes its Global Media Report each autumn, making the 2026 edition likely by late 2026. Deloitte issues its women’s sports outlook every year around November, and Nielsen refreshes The Gauge monthly. League and company deal values update only when contracts are renegotiated, with MLB and MLS among the next US cycles up for renewal.
Last updated: July 17, 2026. We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.