DAZN has become the exclusive broadcaster of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after brokering a major deal with FIFA for the expansion of its OTT sports streaming platform.
The offering will include worldwide free-to-view live streaming of all 63 Club World Cup matches, with the option to potentially sublicense the rights to regional free-to-air linear broadcast networks.
The partnership builds on FIFA’s commercial efforts ahead of the Club World Cup, which has seen the global governing body name several sponsorship partners. Its broadcasting deals have been the subject of speculation, however, with Apple rumoured to be chasing the media rights to the 2025 tournament.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, said: “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’.
“The new FIFA Club World Cup is a merit-based, inclusive tournament that will be the pinnacle of global club football, capturing the imagination of players and fans across the world. 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. Football unites the world.”
FIFA’s plans for the Club World Cup have been slightly controversial. The tournament has historically consisted of the winners of the different continental club cup competitions – the UEFA Champions League, the COMENBOL Copa Libertadores, etc.
Next year’s tournament will be significantly expanded to 32 teams, with FIFA hoping to expand the profile of the tournament. This has led to some concerns about player wellbeing and the overall impact on an already packed sporting calendar.
By making the tournament free-to-air, FIFA is pursuing as wide exposure as possible to build up a sustainable fanbase for its ambitiously expanded tournament. Meanwhile, the deal further cements DAZN as a key stakeholder in football broadcasting.
The London-based platform holds the international rights to multiple tournaments, but has enhanced its footballing remit over recent years by securing domestic rights to Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1, and the English fifth and sixth tier National Leagues.
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN, commented: “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.
“DAZN is the only sports streaming platform that has a truly global reach, with world-leading technology and a single-minded focus to deliver the very best digital experience for all sports fans. We’re committed to ensuring that every fan can watch every moment of the thrilling action from this new prime club tournament.”
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