FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, is close to a deal with Apple to give the tech company worldwide television rights to a new, month-long club tournament, the New York Times reported on Monday.
The report cited the three as saying the deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and could be valued at around $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,333 crore), up from the $4 billion previously estimated by FIFA. That’s a quarter of the dollar (about Rs 33,332 crore). People familiar with the matter.
The potential deal will give the company’s streaming business an edge amid competition among streaming service providers to acquire rights to widely watched sporting events to attract subscribers.
The report said that if the deal goes through, it would be the first time that FIFA has agreed to a single worldwide contract.
According to the report, however, senior FIFA officials have raised concerns over the possibility of “free-to-air rights” that would make the event available only to Apple TV+ subscribers. It is not clear whether any such rights are included in the deal.
The report states that sponsors are also reluctant to commit to the $150 million that FIFA is asking for the sponsorship package.
This event of 32 teams will be held between June 15 and July 13 next year. According to the report, usually no major events are scheduled during this period to allow players to rest in the off-season a year before the World Cup. ,
According to the report, FIFA has faced criticism from players’ associations for not consulting players before making announcements about the event.
“As normal practice, FIFA does not confirm or deny commercial discussions,” a spokesperson for the governing body said in response to a Reuters request for comment. Apple declined to comment.
© Thomson Reuters 2024