Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, is close to a deal with Apple to give the technology company worldwide television rights for a new month-long club tournament, FIFA reported on Monday. New York Times FIFA World Cup Tournament.
The deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and be valued at around $1 billion (approximately Rs 8,333 crore), a quarter of the $4 billion (approximately Rs 33,332 crore) that FIFA had estimated. Initially, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The potential deal would give the company's streaming business an advantage amid competition among streaming service providers to acquire the rights to widely watched sporting events in a bid to attract subscribers.
According to the report, if the deal goes through, it would be the first time FIFA has agreed to a single global contract.
However, senior FIFA executives have expressed concern about the possibility of "free streaming rights," which would make the event only available to Apple TV+ subscribers, according to the report. It needs to be clarified whether the agreement includes such rights.
According to the report, sponsors have also been reluctant to commit to the $150 million FIFA is seeking for sponsorship packages.
The 32-team event will occur between June 15 and July 13 next year. No major events are typically scheduled during this period to allow players to rest in the off-season a year before the World Cup, according to the report.
According to the report, FIFA has been criticized by players' unions for not consulting them before making announcements about the event.
