Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Sports Media Rights Could Surpass $60B Globally By 2024

  • The NFL is No. 1 in the world, holding 15% of the sports media rights market in 2022.
  • Roughly 97% of income from the NFL’s media rights deals is domestic.
ESPN Monday Night Football camera films game
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Media rights for live sports are more valuable than ever. 

Their global value has reached $55 billion in 2022 and is expected to surpass the $60 billion mark in the next two years. 

Live sports have become a valuable commodity thanks to expensive contracts with major networks and streaming services, including domestic rights deals for the NFL and Indian Premier League.

  • In 2021, the combined global value of all sports media rights was $54.45 billion.
  • The NFL is No. 1 in the world, holding 15% of the sports media rights market in 2022.
  • Roughly 97% of income from the NFL’s media rights deals is domestic. 

In 2021, the NFL finalized media rights deals with CBS, NBC, Disney, FOX, and Amazon worth a collective $113 billion over 11 seasons.

cam_newton_holding_football

NFL Locks In $113 Billion in Media Rights

The NFL finalized its media rights deals with NBC, CBS, Fox, Disney,…
March 18, 2021

As part of the deals, Amazon received exclusive rights to “Thursday Night Football” — the first time a tech company has held exclusive NFL rights. 

CBS retained its AFC package for Sundays, while Fox kept the NFC Sunday package it has held since 1994. Disney kept “Monday Night Football” on ESPN, and NBC retained rights to “Sunday Night Football.”

Another Coveted League 

In June, Viacom18 — a joint venture between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, Paramount Global, and investment company Bodhi Tree Systems — secured streaming rights to the IPL in a five-year, $2.6 billion deal.

The Indian subcontinent has a combined sports media rights value of $1.2 billion, ranking 10th in the world.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Goodell Addresses Steve Tisch, Paris Concerns, NFL Officiating

Goodell also talked about Jay-Z and Super Bowl halftime rumors.
Los Angeles, CA - October 27, 2025 - Dodger Stadium: Jeff Passan during game three of the 2025 World Series.

Jeff Passan: Brewers-Rays World Series Won’t Head Off MLB Lockout

Passan also addressed the backlash he received to comments about the Dodgers.

College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings

BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/21/26 – T-Mac Backs Clippers Penalty, 80-to-1 Rays Haunt Sportsbooks, Jay-Z Picks Jay-Z

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

NBC Claims Record Audience for Start of WNBA Finals

The Finals are tied 1–1 with the series shifting to Atlanta.
during WTGL Media Day at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on September 20, 2026.
Exclusive
October 21, 2026

WTGL to Lean Into Female Broadcast Talent on ESPN and Ion

ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum will make her golf broadcasting debut.
Inglewood, CA - October 12, 2026 - SoFi Stadium: Troy Aikman prior to a regular season Monday Night Football game.
Opinion
October 21, 2026

‘Nobody Calls a Game Better’: Why ESPN Should Keep Troy Aikman

Michael Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith have publicly backed Aikman.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
October 20, 2026

Netflix Releases Q3 Earnings, Preps Big Q4 for Sports

The streaming giant tried to put a hopeful spin on staff cuts.
CBS Sports NFL B Team covering the Cincinnati Bengals versus New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 25, 2022.
October 20, 2026

Evan Washburn Eyes March Madness for His ‘Instant Film Room’

The CBS sideline reporter has put a new spin on postgame interviews.
Josh Pate Front Office Sports Tuned In
October 20, 2026

Josh Pate: Internet Hate Is ‘Not Real Life’

Pate learned the lesson on campus trips alongside Danny Kanell.
Santa Clara, CA - September 9, 2024 - Levi's Stadium: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the sidelines prior to a Monday Night Football.
October 19, 2026

Buck, Aikman Avoid the Elephant in the ‘MNF’ Booth

Aikman and Buck focused purely on football during ‘MNF.’