Fifa World Cup ad income boosts Fox’s revenue to $4.21bn in fourth quarter

Average cost of a 30-second spot during tournaments airing on Fox was reportedly between $200,000 and $750,000

Fox Corp, parent company of Fox News and the US broadcaster of the Fifa World Cup , reported revenue up 28% to $4.21bn in the fiscal fourth quarter, thanks largely to advertising income from the soccer tournament.

Advertising revenue jumped 78%, the company reported on Thursday. Overall, revenue for the 2026 fiscal year came in at $17.13bn, a 5% increase from last year. Analysts surveyed by FactSet forecast revenue for the quarter of $3.64bn.

Advertising sales were also helped by Fox’s streaming platform Tubi and higher political advertising on Fox TV stations. Adjusted earnings of $1.79 a share beat analyst expectations of $1.44 a share, and Fox shares rose 3.7% in premarket trading.

Fox’s CEO, Lachlan Murdoch, said: “Fiscal 2026 was an exceptional year for Fox, capped by our broadcast of a remarkable Fifa Men’s World Cup.” He pointed to the successful launch of direct-to-consumer streaming service, Fox One, streaming platform Tubi and the acquisition of Roku.

He said the company had “strong momentum across our portfolio, we enter fiscal 2027 exceptionally well positioned to drive sustained growth and long-term shareholder value”.

The company acquired the 2026 US broadcasting rights for the Wold Cup via a private, no-bid extension for $485m. According to reports , the deal was probably made to avoid legal action after Fifa moved the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to November and December, which clashed with the NFL season.

By some estimates, adverting revenue during match hydration breaks alone may have covered the cost of acquiring the rights to the tournament. Six minutes of hydration breaks in each game probably generated about $2.5m to $9m per game, according to the Hollywood Reporter , with ad revenue totaling at least $500m.

A media-buyer source told the outlet that the average cost of a 30-second spot during the tournament was between $200,000 and $750,000, depending on a match’s teams and the stage of the tournament.