FIFA has finally found a broadcast partner for the 2025 Club World Cup.
The competition, set to be held in the United States next summer, will be broadcast globally by DAZN, according to a press release issued by the company on Wednesday. The sports streaming platform is set to air all 63 games of the competition for free.
DAZN has a relatively small footprint in the U.S., with its rights portfolio limited to some boxing properties, though it has a more robust portfolio internationally featuring top soccer leagues, the NFL, NBA, and UFC.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement, “I am delighted to announce that FIFA, in partnership with DAZN and FIFA+, will bring the best of club football for free to everywhere in the world, meaning that every single football fan across the globe can watch the best players from the 32 best clubs compete in the new FIFA Club World Cup to be the first official ‘FIFA Club World Champions.'”
DAZN CEO Shay Segev added, “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. 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 announcement comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia is prepared to make a $1 billion investment in DAZN, which ironically is the same amount that the company will be paying FIFA for broadcast rights to the tournament, according to the New York Times on Wednesday. Financial details of the arrangement were not provided in the official announcement.
Saudi Arabia has been posturing to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which FIFA is expected to award them next week.
Soccer’s governing body saw little interest from prospective media partners when the Club World Cup was shopped around earlier this year. A deal with Apple fell through when the tech company was unwilling to meet FIFA’s price demands.
Notably, as part of the deal, DAZN will be granted the right to sublicense games to free over-the-air broadcast affiliates, meaning matches may become available on linear television in certain markets.
DAZN’s event coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday when FIFA conducts a draw to determine groups for the summer tournament.
[DAZN]
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.