Apple, FIFA Nearing Deal for Global Broadcast Rights to New International Tournament, Many Questions Still Remain
There’s no word yet if the deal would include free-to-air matches from Apple, or if all games would be put behind a paywall.
FIFA, soccer’s international governing, is set to launch a new elite tournament in the summer of 2025, and Apple is reportedly close to locking down the rights to televise the event around the world. A report from The New York Times says that Apple and FIFA are close to a deal that would send global broadcast rights for the tournament to the tech giant, which already streams every Major League Soccer game of the season on its dedicated soccer streamer MLS Season Pass. This would be a significant addition to Apple TV+’s slate of programming, as interest in the tournament, which will mirror that of FIFA’s World Cup is expected to be high around the world.
- A deal announcement between FIFA and Apple could come as early as this month.
- So far, it’s unclear if the deal will include any free-to-air games.
- FIFA has toyed with the name “Mundial de Clubes FIFA” for the tournament, but has not made a final decision.
According to the report, FIFA’s initial hope was that it would use the new 32-team tournament to generate a high level of demand among global broadcasters. However, the organization has seemingly bungled the planning stages of the tournament to the degree that no outlets have felt the overwhelming desire to put up the $4 billion that FIFA hoped to secure in rights fees.
Apple could reportedly end up paying just a quarter of that amount for the global rights to the tournament. A deal between the two could be announced as soon as next week, though fans may have to wait until the agreement is officially finalized before learning if they’ll be able to stream any games for free on Apple TV, or if they’ll all be placed behind a paywall on Apple TV+ or MLS Season Pass. FIFA executives have expressed concern at the idea that all games will be exclusively available on a streamer, but as of now, the organization does not have many other viable alternatives.
The tournament will feature teams from all around the world, including 12 top-flight European clubs. But partner nations and players unions have complained to FIFA about the disorganized run-up to the tournament, which is currently scheduled to take place in June and July 2025. The event had been named the Mundial de Clubes FIFA, but even the name is currently under review by the governing body.
If Apple does secure the rights to the new FIFA tournament, it will be in line with the company’s philosophy of pursuing sports deals with global reach, but that it can also own the rights worldwide. In summer 2023, Apple was discussed as a partner for the English Premier League, which was looking for a new broadcaster in the United Kingdom. But Apple backed out of discussions because it did not feel that localized EPL rights were enough of a value.
Will Apple’s Experience as a Soccer Streamer Help it Close the Deal?
Apple closed a deal to become the exclusive broadcaster of MLS games in 2022. The streamer carries every MLS game of the season, with no in-market blackouts and a host of shoulder programming like the whip-around show “MLS 360” on the MLS Season Pass app. A handful of MLS games do appear on linear television throughout the season, but even those games are also available on MLS Season Pass.
MLS Season Pass began the 2024 season with more than 2 million subscribers. It’s hard to overstate the effect that the arrival of global superstar forward Lionel Messi with Inter Miami CF played in the rise of the streamer; data released by Antenna in September 2023 showed that almost half of all MLS Season Pass subscribers had signed up to the streamer to watch Messi.
Apple TV does stream some games free outside of the MLS Season Pass app, and also airs more than 30 games per season on Fox and FS1. In mid-March, the streamer decided to air all games on a given weekend free, so there’s a decent chance it would allow fans to stream some matches from the new FIFA tournament for free as well if it wins the rights. Global soccer fans will want to keep an eye out because news of a deal between FIFA and Apple for the global rights to its new soccer tournament could come any day.
MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is a video streaming service that offers every match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts. It offers both English and Spanish announcers. MLS Season Pass also offers pre-match coverage, post-match analysis, highlights, player profiles, interviews, club content, match replays, live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, and more.