RTÉ locks in 2030 World Cup after streaming surge

RTÉ has secured exclusive Irish free-to-air rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, extending its position as the domestic home of the tournament after record audiences for its 2026 coverage.The public-service broadcaster will show the competition across its television, streaming, radio, digital and social platforms. Financial terms were not disclosed.RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said: “We are delighted that RTÉ has been successful in securing rights to the 2030 FIFA World Cup for Irish audiences after what has been a very successful 2026 World Cup with record numbers of people enjoying RTÉ’s coverage.“The huge number of streams on RTÉ Player throughout the tournament has been one of our big success stories this year and has highlighted the value of our investment in the service in recent years.”RTÉ Player generated 23.4 million streams during the 2026 World Cup, almost 15 million more than the 8.5 million recorded for the 2022 tournament.Spain’s final victory over Argentina attracted more than 1.4 million streams, making it the most-streamed single event in RTÉ Player’s history. The match also averaged one million viewers on RTÉ2 and secured a 65% audience share.RTÉ delivered all 104 matches from the 2026 tournament, representing its largest World Cup broadcast operation to date. Its social platforms generated 91 million video views, including more than 6.8 million views for highlights and analysis on YouTube.The figures underline the growing role of streaming and short-form content in extending the commercial value of premium rights beyond linear television.RTÉ’s coverage was sponsored by Heineken 0.0, with the tournament providing a large-scale platform across broadcast, digital and social inventory.Head of sport Declan McBennett said: “The strong response across television, RTÉ Player, digital and social platforms reflects the enduring appetite for live sport in Ireland.“We look forward to bringing audiences more major sporting moments in the years ahead as part of RTÉ’s public service remit, including the FIFA World Cup in 2030.”The 2030 World Cup will run from June 8 until July 21 and retain the 48-team, 104-match format introduced in 2026.Spain, Portugal and Morocco will stage most of the competition, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each hosting one centenary match to mark 100 years since the inaugural World Cup.RTÉ will also cover the Republic of Ireland’s qualification campaign as the broadcaster seeks to convert its 2026 audience growth into sustained engagement ahead of the next finals.