Apple is close to acquiring the global broadcasting rights for the Club World Cup in the summer of next year.
FIFA, the umbrella organization of global football, had set a new status for the World Club Championship in 2023. The organization is now about to make a billion dollar deal with Apple for the broadcast of this tournament. Moreover, this deal will be global. In other words, Apple TV+ will become a global broadcaster.
The value of the deal, which is expected to be announced as soon as the end of this month, appears to be well below the $4 billion FIFA had previously set. According to The New York Times, there are understandable reasons why the value of the deal, which is almost complete, has fallen so low.
32-team cup in the middle of summer
In 2023, the format of the World Club Championship changed. With the new format, the number of participating teams increased to 32. On the other hand, the date of the tournament also drew reaction. In June 2025, the tournament was scheduled to start right after the end of the leagues or the season break. Generally, such big tournaments were not organized before the World Cup (to be held in 2026).
FIFA has also not been able to find sponsors for this tournament. The sponsorship package of around 150 million dollars has not yet been fully collected.
It is not known whether Apple TV+ will be the sole broadcaster of the tournament after Apple’s deal with FIFA or whether the company will sell these rights to different broadcasters in different countries. On the other hand, it is stated that this agreement is the first global broadcasting agreement in FIFA history.
In 2025, the Tournament will take place in the United States.
