Sport media rights value defies worries to hit record $66m in 2026

Sports media rights values have reached record levels in 2026, defying concerns about a potential market bubble, according to a recent report. The total aggregate value of the global market, which serves as the primary revenue source for major sports, has increased from $62.4 billion in 2024 to $65.8 billion in 2026, representing a 20% growth over four years. This upward trend is projected to continue, reaching $66.3 billion by 2028, despite industry worries that media rights growth may have slowed in some cases.

The World Cup, coupled with significant new agreements for the NBA and UFC, has been instrumental in driving this growth. These factors have contributed to the US market comprising 54% of media rights value in the top 10 markets, with the figures set to grow further with the renewals of the NBA and UFC. Football leads in terms of media rights value, accounting for 39% of the value generated by the top 10 sports, followed by American football.

The top 10 competitions, including the NFL and NBA, dominate the market, with the NFL's $10 billion-a-year package making up 19% of the total value, followed by the NBA's $7 billion and the Premier League's $5 billion. However, the report highlights that while the overall market is expanding, the growth is not evenly distributed among sports.

Outside the top 10, every other sport is sharing just one percent of the media rights market, indicating that the bulk of the money is being spent on the biggest markets, sports, and competitions.

The collapse of TV deals in French football and the struggle of Italian and Spanish leagues to monetize an international audience have raised concerns about the future direction of the market. The Independent Football Regulator's draft State of the Game report, published this week, notes that "the value of the next round of deals [for English clubs] is uncertain." The IFR, chaired by former media rights executive David Kogan, is aware of these challenges.