FIFA has agreed a deal with British streaming service DAZN to broadcast next year’s Club World Cup in the United States.
All 63 matches will be available to fans worldwide for free on DAZN’s platform in a deal reportedly worth around $1billion. There are also expected to be sub-licensed deals to local networks.
FIFA had initially struggled to sell the broadcasting rights to the competition and had previously been in talks with Apple over a global streaming deal.
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In a statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino 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.”
DAZN’s chief executive officer Shay Segev, hailed the deal as a “major milestone” for the broadcaster.
The 2025 Club World Cup will begin on June 15 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with the final taking place on July 13 at the MetLife Stadium in New York.
It will feature 32 teams from across the globe, including Manchester City, Chelsea and Inter Miami.
The draw for the tournament is set to take place in Miami on Thursday at 6pm.
