World Cup advertising drives record Fox revenue
Fox reported record quarterly revenue of US$4.57bn as World Cup coverage helped lift advertising sales by 47%, demonstrating the tournament’s commercial value to its US English-language broadcaster.
Fox Corporation has reported a 22% increase in quarterly revenue, with its coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup helping drive a sharp rise in advertising income.Revenue reached US$4.57bn for the three months ending September 30, the opening quarter of its 2027 financial year, as the tournament combined with political advertising and digital growth to strengthen results.Fox executive chair and chief executive Lachlan Murdoch said: “Fox has had an outstanding start to fiscal 2027 with first-quarter records for revenue and adjusted EBITDA underpinned by robust growth in both advertising and distribution revenue.“We commenced the year with the stellar performance of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, the kickoff of the college football and NFL seasons, and an active election cycle at the national and local levels. These events supported strong contributions from across the company, reflecting the focused strategy we are executing and the strength of our content and brands.”Advertising revenue increased by 47% compared with the same quarter a year earlier, supported by World Cup broadcasts, election spending and continued growth at streaming service Tubi.The company did not isolate the World Cup’s contribution to that increase, with several parts of the business benefiting from stronger advertiser demand.Distribution revenue rose by 9%, providing a second source of growth alongside advertising.Net income reached US$957m, compared with US$609m a year earlier, while adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation increased by 54% to US$1.64bn.The World Cup also brought higher sports programming and production costs, partially offsetting the additional revenue generated by the competition.Fox held exclusive US English-language rights to the tournament, which was staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June to July. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo provided Spanish-language coverage.Because the competition crossed Fox’s June financial year-end, its commercial impact was spread across two reporting periods, contributing to growth in both the closing quarter of 2026 and the opening quarter of 2027.The results underline the importance of major live events to Fox’s advertising business, alongside its news, entertainment and digital offerings.Murdoch said political advertising had generated approximately US$350m during the current election cycle, with most of that spending directed towards local stations.The company is also pursuing its proposed US$22bn acquisition of Roku, which remains subject to regulatory review after shareholders approved the transaction.That deal would expand Fox’s streaming operations alongside Tubi, while the latest results show the continuing revenue potential of premium sport across its existing television business.Murdoch added: “These record results coupled with the strong momentum we are continuing to see across our business gives us confidence in delivering value for shareholders in a thoughtful and disciplined manner.”