With four years still to go until the 2030 World Cup, a headline-grabbing announcement has already landed. For the tournament hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, a digital streaming platform will be involved for the first time in history.

Netflix announced recently that it has secured broadcast rights to a men's FIFA World Cup for the first time. The rights the company picked up cover the Spain and Andorra markets for the 2030 tournament.

Netflix will be the single destination in two countries

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Viewers with subscriptions in these markets will be able to follow every one of the tournament's 104 matches live on Netflix. In other words, the platform will be the tournament's sole official home in Spain and Andorra. The deal is limited to these two countries; broadcast arrangements elsewhere remain unchanged.

Even so, the move is a major signal of where live sports could be headed as it breaks away from traditional television and shifts to digital channels. Similar deals are likely to multiply in the years ahead.

Each country has its own rules on access to sports content, and streaming giants must comply with them when closing big deals. To meet its legal obligations in Spain and Andorra, Netflix will make one match per day free to watch throughout the tournament. The free broadcasts will reach viewers via national TV channels whose names have not yet been announced.

Pre-match and post-match coverage too

Netflix's plans don't stop at the 90 minutes on the pitch. The company will air pre-match analysis, halftime discussion and special post-match content alongside the games. It will also publish daily recap shows each matchday, rounding up the day's standout moments.