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Fifa wants to raise up to US$2 billion to fund the expansion of its Fifa+ direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service, according to Bloomberg.
World soccer’s governing body is reportedly working with Swiss investment bank UBS on the plan, with a formal fundraising process expected to start in July. It is thought investors in the US and Middle East will be targeted, with Fifa prepared to offer a minority stake in the platform.
Both UBS and Fifa declined to comment to Bloomberg, which said timings and funding targets could change.
Fifa+ launched in early 2022 as part of a wider DTC push that has also seen the governing body launch digital collectibles and online games.
At launch, Fifa+ promised to more than 40,000 live matches a year alongside highlights, archive footage and original content. It is designed as a global platform for domestic leagues and national associations to stream matches in order to increase exposure and serve viewers in dark markets.
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) streams all of its competitions on the platform, which has also provided live coverage of the Fifa Club World Cup in certain territories. Fifa has also used Fifa+ as a means to gain leverage in contract negotiations, claiming it would stream the 2023 Women’s World Cup on the service if it could not agree a satisfactory rights deal win some European markets.
It is unclear how Fifa would use any funds raised or why it needs to generate such a large sum. Potential use cases include technological development, marketing and direct rights acquisitions.
Fifa+ could yet serve a purpose for the expanded Club World Cup amid lacklustre interest from broadcasters. 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.
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