March 6 – The FIFA World Club Cup (FCWC), which seemingly takes two steps backwards to every step forwards, will be breathing a semi-sigh of relief after it was announced that major US broadcaster TNT Sports will show 24 matches – including group stages, knockout games and the final on July 13 – on its combined networks of TNT, TBS and truTV.
DAZN, which holds the global rights to the FCWC after purchasing them for a rumoured $1billion, will hand over the English language studio programming to TNT. The format of the studio show is yet to be determined.
The agreement comes as something of a surprise given that Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT’s parent company) relinquished the rights to the UEFA Champions League to refocus its sport portfolio, thus reducing its investment in high-cost soccer rights.
“Partnering with DAZN to present the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 further bolsters our sports portfolio this summer and brings another world-class event to our TNT Sports portfolio,” TNT chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to this new partnership with DAZN as we collectively deliver this exciting new global soccer club competition in the U.S. this summer.”
When the deal with DAZN and FIFA was first made public, the broadcaster agreed to make all 63 matches of the competition free. However, as TNT is a cable company, customers will have to pay their local cable/satellite companies for the privilege of watching Lionel Messi and Co. – unless it streams the games online with no paywall,
Talking of Messi, it is assumed that TNT Sports will be targeting the Argentine and his club, Inter Miami, along with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea, given that some of the other participating clubs are hardly household names.
“The combined expertise of DAZN and TNT Sports will deliver what FIFA and fans want – a tournament for generations to remember,” DAZN group CEO Shay Segev said in a statement. “With our new partners at Warner Brothers. Discovery, DAZN will enhance and expand production, marketing and ad sales for the tournament, to maximize engagement and reach and ensure that fans receive the very best viewing experience.”
The tournament opens on June 14, with Messi’s Inter Miami taking on Egyptian club Al-Ahly at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
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