By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
It looks like Apple’s foray into streaming soccer could be getting even more ambitious. According to a report from The New York Times, Apple is close to a deal with FIFA — the sport’s global governing body — for worldwide rights for an expanded version of the Club World Cup that will take place in the US in 2025. The Times says that the deal could be worth upward of $1 billion and that an official announcement could happen sometime this month.
If the deal goes through, it would mark Apple’s second major broadcast partnership in the sport. In 2022, the company signed a 10-year deal for streaming rights to Major League Soccer, which got a big boost a year later with Lionel Messi’s arrival in Miami. The deal with FIFA would be more notable, however, as the tournament will feature some of the biggest professional teams in the world.
FIFA detailed the expanded tournament last year, which will take place over a month between June and July and include 32 teams from Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Some of the currently qualified clubs include Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.
The news comes as the sports streaming space is heating up, with ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery teaming up for a new service, Peacock and Amazon streaming NFL games, and even Netflix getting into live sports broadcasts with a boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. Apple, meanwhile, also launched a dedicated sports app earlier this year.
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