Club World Cup to be Broadcast on Free-to-Air Channel 5 in the UK
The Club World Cup, a prestigious international football tournament, is set to be broadcast on free-to-air Channel 5 in the UK this summer. According to a report by the Daily Mail, Channel 5 has reached an agreement with global rights holder DAZN to show 23 of the tournament’s 63 matches live.
The broadcaster will show four last-16 ties, two quarter-finals, one semi-final, and the final, as well as 15 group games. The matches will also be shown on DAZN, who will exclusively televise the other 40 fixtures after agreeing to a £787million deal with FIFA for rights to the tournament. As the Daily Mail reports, this deal is one of the highest profile sporting events Channel 5 has acquired.
Channel 5 has previously held the rights to the Europa League, showing it live from 1997 until 2012. The new expanded 32-team competition features top clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Juventus. DAZN has said it will make every game available to watch for free worldwide on its app.
DAZN’s Deal with FIFA
DAZN agreed to a £787million deal with FIFA in December for global rights to the tournament. The British streaming platform struck a deal with FIFA, who had previously struggled to find a broadcaster. Just three months earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino held an emergency meeting to try and drum up interest.
Funding and Controversy
DAZN’s deal appears to be partly propped up by funding from Saudi Arabia. Indeed, a minority stake was sold to SURJ Sports Investment, a company operating as part of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, in February. ITV reportedly made a cheeky £0 bid to broadcast the Club World Cup last summer – before the DAZN package.
Tournament Details
The tournament will run from mid-June until July 13 and games will be played across the US, including in Charlotte, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles. Clubs will be able to earn up to £97m in prize money if they win all of their group-stage games and then the tournament itself. Chelsea and Manchester City will compete in it as a result of winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
Competition from Other Broadcasters
ITV initially entered the race, believing their offer to invest in production costs and screen games to a wider audience may have been enough to tempt FIFA. However, they ultimately did not secure the rights.
Global Reach and Prize Money
The competition had originally received criticism from clubs and players for adding more games to a cramped calendar. Global players’ union Fifpro and the European Leagues body filed a complaint to the European Commission last year to protest FIFA’s ‘abuse of dominance’ in the game. According to the tournament regulations published by FIFA, clubs must field their strongest teams for all games.
As the Daily Mail notes, the Club World Cup is set to be the "most widely accessible club football tournament ever". With top clubs competing and a significant prize money at stake, this summer’s tournament promises to be an exciting event for football fans worldwide.
