The sports streaming platform DAZN, supported by billionaire Sir Leonard Blavatnik, has completed a $1 billion deal with FIFA to exclusively broadcast the new Club World Cup next year. The UK-based streaming service obtains the exclusive worldwide rights to the inaugural month-long tournament with 32 teams. Participating teams include top clubs like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain. A total of 63 games will be played in various cities in the USA.

In addition to broadcasting the Club World Cup, the contract also includes other FIFA content and the integration of the streaming service FIFA+ into the DAZN offering. The agreement marks the beginning of a broader partnership between DAZN and the world football association. The tournament represents FIFA's latest attempt to capitalize on the lucrative market for club football broadcasts, currently dominated by UEFA and its Champions League. The first edition of the tournament begins on June 15, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with the final to be held at the MetLife Stadium in New York. Contrary to its usual subscription-based business model, DAZN will broadcast the Club World Cup for free, instead relying on advertising and sponsorship revenue. The goal is to leverage the anticipated viewer numbers to gain new paying subscribers in the long run. The deal includes rights for one year, but offers DAZN a first option for the next edition of the tournament in 2026. DAZN, which already shows popular leagues such as La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and the Champions League, sees the tournament as an opportunity to bridge summer months with less match activity and strengthen customer loyalty. Although DAZN has been repeatedly linked to a possible sale of a stake to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), no negotiations are underway, according to a person familiar with the situation. In October, the PIF had explicitly denied such involvement.