Getty Images
Fifa’s plans for an expanded Club World Cup have hit a setback amid reports that discussions with Apple for the tournament’s global media rights have stalled.
Apple is believed to have tabled a US$1 billion bid for the month long event, however this is less than a quarter of the US$4 billion Fifa is believed to be holding out for.
Now, according to Bloomberg, world soccer’s governing body is now considering selling the rights on a regional basis and has approached clubs to see if they are willing to participate for a lower fee than first promised.
A spokesperson for Fifa told the outlet that there were “many” companies that had shown interest in either commercial or media partnerships for the Club World Cup, and that daily efforts were being taken to maximise the opportunity for all stakeholders.
‘Fifa is fully confident and convinced of the commercial and sporting success of the new competition,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
‘Fifa is in regular and productive dialogue with the key counterparties involved including prospective venues, media and commercial partners, and of course the clubs themselves.’
Last year, Fifa confirmed that the Club World Cup would be held in the US in 2025. It is intended as a warm-up event for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be staged in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Though no dates have been confirmed yet, it is widely expected that the tournament would be held in the summer months of either June or July. As of now, 29 clubs have qualified for the 32-team tournament, with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Bayern Munich among the 12 representing Europe.
Others set to compete include Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Seattle Sounders, Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal, Brazilian titans Palmeiras and Egypt’s Al-Ahly.
The competition has faced significant opposition from world leagues and player unions, who have both raised concerns about its scheduling amid an increasingly packed calendar. Last week, European member unions of Fifpro, the organisation representing world players, submitted a legal claim against Fifa with the Brussels Court of Commerce.
Fifpro said in a statement that the claim was ‘challenging the legality of Fifa’s decisions to unilaterally set the international match calendar and, in particular, the decision to create and schedule the Fifa Club World Cup 2025.’
The Club World Cup was announced to much fanfare by Fifa, which hoped the expanded tournament would open up a new lucrative source of revenue. However, it has been met with a lukewarm response from broadcasters, with many lacking enough information to consider meeting the high price tag set by the soccer body.
Interest in the Club World Cup has traditionally never hit the heights of other club competitions. In the UK for instance, the Club World Cup rights have been passed along by various broadcasters, while Fifa’s own direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform has had to stream the tournament in other markets.
While regional broadcasters may ensure sufficient coverage of the tournament, it is unlikely they will stump up huge sums to show the competition. Given Fifa are also facing legal challenges from players unions and mounting opposition from leagues, its aspirations of expanding the competition are at significant risk.
Get your daily briefing of all the essential news across the sports industry with the SportsPro Daily Newsletter. Subscribe here.
