With the World Cup now in full swing, streaming access is part of the real cost of following the tournament. Action Network ranked every U.S. state by how many minimum-wage hours it takes to cover a $40 full-tournament streaming baseline, including estimated streaming tax where applicable. The result shows where World Cup streaming is most and least affordable for minimum-wage workers.

With the tournament underway, readers looking to back their team in the upcoming matches can also explore the latest World Cup betting promos.

Key Findings

What the Data Shows

1
Louisiana is the least affordable state for World Cup streaming
Louisiana ranks No. 1 overall, with minimum-wage workers needing about 6.08 hrs to cover the full tournament stream.
2
Tennessee follows closely behind
Tennessee ranks No. 2 overall, with workers needing about 6.05 hrs at the minimum wage.
3
California is the most affordable state in the ranking
California ranks No. 50 overall, with the shortest estimated work time in the study at 2.37 hrs.
4
New York is also among the most affordable states
New York ranks No. 49 overall, with minimum-wage workers needing about 2.50 hrs to afford the stream.
5
The national average is 4.14 hours
Across all 50 states, the average estimated work time is about 4.14 hrs.
Expert Quote
“For many Americans, following the World Cup is not just about finding the time to watch, but also about the cost of access. A $40 stream may sound straightforward, but this analysis shows that affordability looks very different depending on where fans live and what they earn. By comparing streaming costs with minimum wages in every state, the study highlights where watching the tournament takes the biggest bite out of a worker’s pay.”
Action Network spokesperson
Calculator

World Cup Streaming Affordability by State

Select a state to see the minimum-wage hours needed to afford the stream, its national rank and how it compares with the U.S. average.

Louisiana Loading cityscape...
Source: Wikimedia
Top 10

Where World Cup streaming is least affordable

Caption: Streaming affordability is calculated by dividing each state’s estimated streaming cost by its minimum hourly wage.

Rank State Hours Est. total cost Min. wage Streaming taxed?

Caption: The ranking runs from least affordable to most affordable based on estimated minimum-wage work time.

Top 5 in Focus
A closer look at why the five least affordable states sit at the top of the ranking.
No. 1 Louisiana
6.08 hrs $44.04 est. cost $7.25/hr min. wage Streaming taxed
What it means: Louisiana ranks as the least affordable state for World Cup streaming, with minimum-wage workers needing the longest time to cover the full tournament stream. Its position is driven by a $7.25 minimum wage and the highest estimated streaming cost among the top five.
No. 2 Tennessee
6.05 hrs $43.84 est. cost $7.25/hr min. wage Streaming taxed
What it means: Tennessee follows closely behind, with workers needing just over six hours at the minimum wage. The state’s $7.25 minimum wage and estimated streaming tax keep the work-time burden near the top of the ranking.
No. 3 Alabama
6.04 hrs $43.78 est. cost $7.25/hr min. wage Streaming taxed
What it means: Alabama ranks third, with minimum-wage workers needing about six hours to cover the stream. Its affordability score is shaped by the $7.25 minimum wage and an estimated total streaming cost above $43.
No. 4 Texas
5.97 hrs $43.28 est. cost $7.25/hr min. wage Streaming taxed
What it means: Texas places fourth despite a slightly lower estimated total cost than the states above it. The state’s $7.25 minimum wage means the stream still takes nearly six hours of work to afford.
No. 5 Utah
5.93 hrs $42.97 est. cost $7.25/hr min. wage Streaming taxed
What it means: Utah rounds out the top five, with an estimated total cost just under $43. The state’s $7.25 minimum wage keeps the tournament stream among the least affordable nationally.
Methodology

How We Ranked Streaming Affordability

Action Network used a $40 streaming price as the baseline because it reflects FOX One’s limited-time World Cup offer for three months of access to all 104 matches in English, giving the analysis a consistent tournament-wide comparison point.

Streaming tax treatment was applied where applicable, based on state tax guidance. Minimum wage figures were sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor and state government minimum-wage pages, using the applicable statewide minimum hourly wage where available. Where a state has no higher minimum wage, the federal $7.25 rate was used.

Each state’s estimated total cost was divided by its minimum hourly wage to calculate the number of work hours needed to afford the full tournament stream.

Disclaimer: Figures are estimates and may vary by provider, local taxes and future price changes.