FIFA’s beleaguered Club World Cup finally found a broadcast partner.
Soccer’s governing body agreed to a broadcast deal with DAZN for its 2025 tournament, which is worth roughly $1 billion, according to The Athletic. FIFA had been in talks with Apple TV for a global deal, but those broke down along the way.
All 63 matches will be available for free on DAZN, which ends a long struggle for FIFA to sell the broadcast rights to a tournament that some players aren’t even interested in playing. The decision to go with DAZN also shows the lack of a market the tournament had with European broadcasters.
“Through this broadcasting agreement, billions of football fans worldwide can now watch what will be the most widely accessible club football tournament ever – and FOR FREE,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a release. “Football Unites the World.”
FIFA’s struggle to promote the Club World Cup goes back years. The tournament was delayed multiple times, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, Apple was reportedly close to landing the tournament’s streaming deal, but at a price far below what was originally expected.
DAZN, a London-based streaming platform known more for its boxing broadcasts in the United States, has the option to sub-license to local free-to-air broadcasters, as part of its deal. As of 2023, DAZN has more than 60 million subscribers and 300 million monthly users. Subscriptions range from $19.99 a month to $225 for the year. In 2023, DAZN covered more than 700 top-flight European soccer matches, including UEFA Champions League. Club World Cup matches will be free to view on DAZN.
“This groundbreaking deal with FIFA is a major milestone in DAZN’s journey to be the ultimate entertainment platform of choice for sports fans everywhere,” DAZN CEO Shay Segev said in a release. “We’re delighted to have the exclusive rights to this new chapter in global club football, marking the start of our long-term relationship with FIFA and cementing our status as the home of football.”
The Club World Cup is slated to start play June 15 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and end July 13, with MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosting the final.
The tournament will feature 32 teams, including Manchester City, Chelsea of the English Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain of France’s Ligue 1, and Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami. The inclusion of Inter Miami raised eyebrows when it was announced as a qualifier for winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, which is awarded to the top regular-season team. The inclusion of Inter Miami, and its star player Lionel Messi, was seen as a way to help combat the player resistance FIFA has received from European clubs, along with its broadcasting and sponsorship issues.
Players have criticized FIFA and threatened to strike over the tournament, citing an excessive workload and lack of time off between seasons.
“I think we are worried that people make decisions in isolation and without seeing the big picture,” the head of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Maheta Molango, said in June. “Everyone says to you, ‘My calendar works.’ Yeah, of course it does. But then when you look at this in conjunction, then it doesn’t.”
On Tuesday, FIFA announced Bank of America as a sponsor for the tournament, joining Chinese electronics manufacturer Hisense and Budweiser brewer AB InBev, among others. The tournament’s draw is Thursday in Miami.
