Soccer's governing body, FIFA, has finally found a broadcast partner for the revamped Club World Cup competition. The international streaming service, DAZN, has acquired exclusive global rights in a deal that marks the beginning of a broader partnership between the two entities.
The agreement will see all 63 matches of an expanded 32-team field live-streamed and free to view on DAZN globally. This includes multiple language options and the possibility of sublicensing to local free-to-air linear broadcast networks.
This new development is significant as it comes after FIFA struggled to secure a broadcast partner due to controversy surrounding the competition. Many traditional media giants were unwilling to pick up the rights as clubs and players expressed dissatisfaction with additional games and workload. Earlier this year, technology giant Apple was reportedly close to striking a worldwide media rights deal with FIFA for Club World Cup matches but negotiations eventually fell through.
Integrating FIFA+ OTT into DAZN Platform
The CWC deal signifies more than just broadcasting rights; it also marks the start of an extensive partnership between DAZN and FIFA. This collaboration includes integrating the FIFA+ Over-the-Top (OTT) offering into the DAZN platform - an exciting prospect for sports fans worldwide.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said:
“From the outset, FIFA wanted to have the best 32 clubs in the world competing in a merit-based, inclusive tournament to crown the only official ‘FIFA world club champion’. As part of that, it was imperative for FIFA to ensure that as many football fans across the world could follow the action, and this agreement with DAZN guarantees that in terms of broadcasting, the new FIFA Club World Cup will be the most widely accessible club football tournament ever.”
Shay Segev, DAZN chief executive, said:
“This groundbreaking deal with FIFA is a major milestone in DAZN’s journey. 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.”
Despite initial challenges in securing sponsors or broadcast partners for its 32-team CWC until late October, progress has been made recently with Bank of America (announced yesterday), Hisense and AB InBev named as commercial partners - all expansions of their existing deals with FIFA.
More teams from different continents
The 2025 edition of Club World Cup will introduce a new format where continental governing bodies – except Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) – will receive multiple team slots. Europe's UEFA will have the most teams, with 12. The lineup includes renowned clubs such as Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan among others.
The competition is set to kick off on June 15th, 2025 and will be played in twelve venues across the United States. The tournament will culminate with the final match on July 13th. This new partnership between DAZN and FIFA promises an exciting future for soccer fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
