FIFA Club World Cup Broadcasting Rights To Be Bought By Apple
Apple is set to continue its expansion into the soccer world by acquiring the broadcasting rights for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, according to the New York Times.
Apple stepped into the soccer world by acquiring the broadcasting rights to every Major League Soccer (MLS) game, signing a 10-year/$2.5 billion deal with the league. The deal would broadcast all league, cup and MLS Next Pro matches through the MLS Season Pass. A subscription behind the already Apple TV+, which is something that FIFA officials wonder about.
“It is unclear if the deal with Apple will include any free-to-air rights, meaning the entire event could be available only to subscribers of Apple TV+, a factor over which senior executives at FIFA have raised concerns,” written in the NY Times article.
In a world today where almost every single league has its streaming service and paywall, it would most likely hurt soccer consumers. Premier League has Peacock, La Liga and Bundesliga have ESPN+, and Serie A has Paramount+ — alongside other leagues and other sports.
According to the NY Times piece, “The value of the deal might be as little as a quarter of the $4 billion FIFA had first estimated.”
The 2025 edition of the tournament will be held in the United States, a year prior the U.S. will be one of three hosts for the 2026 World Cup.
Club Léon is one of the clubs that are confirmed to be featured in the 2025 Club World Cup, as they won the 2022-23 CONCACAF Champions League. Recent UEFA Champions League winners such as Manchester City, Real Madrid and Chelsea are other teams who have qualified for the tournament.
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