Reportedly, Apple is intensifying its focus on live sports through a groundbreaking deal with FIFA, the global soccer governing body. This agreement, said to be unprecedented, would grant Apple the worldwide television rights for a forthcoming tournament. According to sources cited by the New York Times, the TV deal could be announced this month, with the tournament scheduled for the U.S. next summer. Unlike FIFA’s usual practice of striking deals with multiple TV providers worldwide for global tournaments like the World Cup, the proposed deal with Apple may exclude free-to-air rights. This potential exclusion, reportedly causing concern among some FIFA senior executives, could mean the tournament would only be accessible to Apple TV+ subscribers. A FIFA spokesperson declined to confirm or deny ongoing commercial discussions.
Apple’s previous exclusive 10-year agreement to secure streaming rights for Major League Soccer for $2.5 billion, known as MLS Season Pass, proved lucrative for the tech giant. Following World Cup winner Lionel Messi’s debut with MLS Club Inter Miami CF in June, subscriptions to Apple TV+ surged by over 100,000 in a single day, compared to approximately 6,000 the day before, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. While Apple does not disclose specific revenue figures for Apple TV+, its services business segment, which includes the streaming service, generated $85.2 billion in net sales in 2023, up 9% from the previous year, according to the company’s latest 10K filing.
With the competition for live sports rights intensifying among streaming platforms, Apple is ramping up its efforts. Peacock recently streamed its third exclusive NFL game in March, while Amazon Prime completed its second year of a $1 billion-per-season deal for NFL’s Thursday Night Football programming. Apple is also reportedly pursuing streaming rights for NBA games and previously secured a deal with Major League Baseball in 2022.
The upcoming World Cup-style tournament, tentatively named the Mundial de Clubes FIFA (although subject to review), will feature 32 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has long advocated for this competition, which will pit some of the world’s top soccer clubs against each other every four years. Notable clubs such as FC Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain FC, and Serie A champions Inter Milan have already qualified to participate, according to FIFA.
