UK free-to-air (FTA) broadcaster Channel 5 has snapped up a rights package to air games from the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) tournament through a sublicensing deal with global streaming service DAZN.
Paramount-owned Channel 5 will show 23 of the 63 fixtures from this year's revamped and enlarged CWC, set to take place in the US between June 14 and July 13. The games will be shown alongside DAZN, with the other 40 matches available solely on the streaming platform.
DAZN, which initially snapped up worldwide rights to the 32-team CWC earlier this year, in a deal valued at $1 billion in total, will cover all the action FTA on a global basis.
Specifically, Channel 5 will show 15 group-stage games, four round-of-16 clashes, two quarter-finals, one of the semi-finals, and then the final itself. Both the main Channel 5, as well as its streaming service, will show games, with some fixtures also set to be shown via 5USA and 5ACTION, and the broadcaster will take DAZN's coverage.
The deal will ease fears at soccer's governing body FIFA about a lack of coverage for the inaugural edition of its marquee clubs competitions in the UK – up to this point, no UK broadcaster had been found, with less than two months to go until the action gets underway.
It was reported last month that the UK's public-service broadcaster, the BBC, and commercial broadcaster ITV had both decided not to bid for CWC rights, primarily because they will both be covering the UEFA Women's European Championship national teams tournament across June and July.
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By GlobalDataDAZN is currently not seen as one of the main sports broadcasting powerhouses in the UK, and as a consequence, has been looking at bringing in a sub-licensing partner to guarantee sizeable audiences for what FIFA sees as a premium soccer property.
In other countries in which DAZN is also a relatively minor player, for example, the US itself, similar sub-licensing deals are in place. In the US, Warner Bros. Discovery has struck a deal (as has Spanish-language TelevisaUnivision), while Mediaset has done the same in Spain and Italy.
In Egypt, meanwhile, MBC Group came on board as a sub-licensing partner in February.
The DAZN-FIFA deal was unveiled in advance of Saudi Arabia's Surj Sports Investments announcing last month that it had taken a minority stake in the streaming service, also for $1 billion. That figure is also the total prize and appearance fund available from the event.
Lee Sears, president of international ad sales at Paramount, brokered the deal, and he has now commented: "We’re delighted to be able to have agreed this fantastic partnership with DAZN to expand free-to-air coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup, live on 5. It’s going to be one of the sporting events of the summer with most of the matches played in the evening peak time and 32 of the world’s biggest clubs involved."
In terms of soccer rights held by Channel 5, the broadcaster has previously covered the second-tier Europa League European clubs competition, and has also been the highlights provider for various properties.
Shay Segev, DAZN's chief executive, added: "The FIFA Club World Cup will bring unparalleled engagement opportunities and in expanding our partner network with 5, we look forward to bringing the tournament to the widest possible audience.”
The CWC will feature two English sides, Chelsea and current English Premier League champions Manchester City.
