The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world’s top club soccer teams competing in a winner-take-all tournament. Global soccer stars like Lionel Messi and many others are set to participate, and on Wednesday it was announced that DAZN had won the tournament’s global broadcasting rights. Now, analysts are questioning how the company can afford to pay for the games, especially in light of its plan to stream them to non-paid subscribers.

Key Details:

• DAZN plans to offer all matches from the Club World Cup for free.
• The streamer lost $1.2 billion in 2022, but still reportedly agreed to pay around $1 billion for the rights.
• The Saudi Public Investment Fund is considering a $1 billion investment in the service.

The London Times reports that once financial details about DAZN’s deal to buy the Club World Cup rights became known, industry observers were flabbergasted at the $1 billion the streamer is reportedly ponying up for them.

The shock comes from the fact that DAZN lost $1.2 billion in 2022, and has still not achieved the coveted goal of profitability that streamers are all striving for nowadays. It has not raised subscription prices in quite some time, and yet it plans to offer every match from the Club World Cup for free.

The Times also reports that DAZN has “developed close links” with Saudi Arabia, which is considering a $1 billion investment in the streamer through its Public Investment Fund. Human rights officials continue to look askance at the Saudi royal family for its long and continuing history of abuses.

The Saudis already have a fairly unusual deal with DAZN, paying the streamer to offer Saudi Pro League soccer and tennis to a worldwide audience for free. Normally, it’s programmers who pay rightsholders to air events, not the other way around, and the dealings raise questions about a potential deepening of their relationship.

FIFA was originally seeking as much as $4 billion for the rights to the Club World Cup, but its asking price came down precipitously once it realized it would never get that price. Even with the reduction, many analysts are wondering how DAZN will afford to pay for the Club World Cup and stream it for free, especially without raising subscription fees for other content.

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DAZN

DAZN is an international sports streaming service dedicated to live and on-demand sports programming. Since its launch in 2016, the platform has expanded to become one of the world’s leading sports streaming destinations, offering coverage that varies by region and includes boxing, soccer, MMA, women’s sports, motorsports, and other major competitions.

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The service is particularly known for its investment in combat sports, featuring high-profile boxing events and partnerships with major promoters. In select markets, DAZN also carries domestic and international football leagues, original documentaries, highlights, analysis shows, and exclusive sports programming. The platform has additionally expanded into pay-per-view events for certain marquee matchups. DAZN is also the exclusive distributor of FFIA+.

Viewers can access DAZN on a wide range of devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, smart TVs, gaming consoles, iOS and Android devices, and web browsers. The service is offered through monthly or annual subscriptions, with some premium events requiring an additional pay-per-view purchase depending on the region.

With its emphasis on live sports, flexible viewing options, and growing portfolio of global rights agreements, DAZN has become a popular choice for fans seeking a dedicated sports streaming experience outside of traditional television packages.

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