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Apple Working to Secure Streaming Rights to FIFA Club World Cup

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Apple is working to secure an exclusive TV deal with soccer governing organization FIFA, reports The New York Times. FIFA will launch a revamped version of Club World Cup in 2025, and Apple wants the TV rights. Club World Cup 2025 will feature 32 teams from each of the six confederations.

fifa.jpg

An agreement between Apple and FIFA could be announced as soon as this month, and the first tournament will take place in the United States next summer. Apple could be paying around $1 billion, and The New York Times says it is not yet clear if there will be any free-to-air rights. If not, the entire tournament could be available only to Apple TV+ subscribers.

Apple has already shelled out $2.5 billion to secure global broadcasting rights to Major League Soccer. MLS and League Cup games are streamed on Apple TV+, with access priced at $14.99 per month or $99 per season for non-subscribers and $12.99 per month or $79 per season for those who subscribe to Apple TV+.

Apple sees live sports as a way to lure new customers to the Apple TV+ streaming service. In addition to the MLS deal, it has also secured a deal with Major League Baseball. Apple negotiated for NFL Sunday Ticket access, and while that didn't work out, a report from The Athletic suggests that Apple is still in the running to secure some streaming access to NBA games.

Earlier this year, Apple introduced a dedicated Apple Sports app that allows users to get real-time scores and stats for their favorite teams. The app is able to sync with the My Sports experience in the Apple TV app.

Article Link: Apple Working to Secure Streaming Rights to FIFA Club World Cup
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/22/apple-fifa-tournament-rights/
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bigchrisfgb

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Whats-a-computer? said:
Background information for non "soccer" fans: the fiifa club worldcup isnt new, its just bigger now. It never was a relevant tournament in the soccer world. Not sure it will be now. Probably wont make AppleTV+ much more popular.
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It’s being massively reconfigured and virtually rebranded though.
The amount of elite teams taking part, and the change in the calendar will make it much more popular than before.
It’s not Champions League, or Premier League levels popular, but much more than before.
 
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Brenster

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Save me from the unwanted expense of funding broadcasters/streamers overpaying/bidding for sports rights, loading up the rest of us with the increased costs whether we want to watch or not - absolutely not in my case. cf Sky, Amazon, BT/TNT etc all trying to outbid each other for UK & European soccer rights. The quantities of money involved defy belief and the failure to increase subscribers to cover it all means the existing subscriber base gets to pay the increased costs.

Let those who want to watch this stuff assume the full burden of the broadcaster/streamer's largesse.
 
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sw1tcher

sw1tcher

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epox999 said:
Apple doesn't have F1 rights? What do you mean
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Apple was reportedly looking to spend $2 billion on Formula 1 rights

appleinsider.com

Apple may offer $2B to get Apple TV+ exclusive Formula 1 streaming rights

Apple is mulling over another potential sporting deal for Apple TV+, with claims it is thinking about offering $2 billion per year for the exclusive streaming rights to Formula 1 coverage.
appleinsider.com appleinsider.com

But things haven't materialized (yet?). Now Apple wants to bid on FIFA rights
 
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3xBoom

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Apr 20, 2020
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Whats-a-computer? said:
Background information for non "soccer" fans: the fiifa club worldcup isnt new, its just bigger now. It never was a relevant tournament in the soccer world. Not sure it will be now. Probably wont make AppleTV+ much more popular.
Click to expand...
If done right, this has massive potential. CL, despite its shortcomings and the uncertain impact of the upcoming reconfiguration of the competition, is a perfect stage to demonstrate different qualities of European Leagues. I am willing to bet that Club WorldCup can accomplish the same success but a truly global scale.
 
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junolab

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May 10, 2020
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The players are complaining about too many games and so are the biggest managers in this sport. On top of that the European Super League had a huge backlash from the fans making some of the biggest clubs announcing that they would never participate in such a thing. Add in the possibility of a tournament only viewable on a single streaming service which still has quite a small market share. Even if this came to fruition how likely would it be that Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, City, United and more sends their best players to the tournament? Not gonna happen. And as someone else states; this is already a thing. But no European team really cares about that trophy.
 
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RemedyRabbit

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Aug 5, 2014
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I hadn’t realised the format of the club world cup was being updated and having now read about it gotta admit I am slightly intrigued (although clearly the big european clubs are gonna dominate it).

Age old question though is exactly how fifa expect to fit this into the already overfull calendar. If it’s in european preseason no one will take it seriously, it’ll be treated as a bunch of friendlies.
 
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Bug-Creator

Bug-Creator

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Brenster said:
Save me from the unwanted expense of funding
Click to expand...
.... any show on TV+ !!I!! don't like.
Or really any feature in macOS/iOS/iPadOS/etc that I never use.

A streaming service with a fixed monthly payment will always fail to deliver just the program you like, and an a la carte approach means you end up paying far more will getting to watch less.

And no I don't really care about football but I am o.k. co financing it just as I am co financing if they ever buy rights to some American carry-egg games.
 
Amazing Iceman

Amazing Iceman

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Nov 8, 2008
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Bug-Creator said:
.... any show on TV+ !!I!! don't like.
Or really any feature in macOS/iOS/iPadOS/etc that I never use.

A streaming service with a fixed monthly payment will always fail to deliver just the program you like, and an a la carte approach means you end up paying far more will getting to watch less.

And no I don't really care about football but I am o.k. co financing it just as I am co financing if they ever buy rights to some American carry-egg games.
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Most ATV+ Shows are A++. Excellent quality content, not all appealing to my taste, but it's quality content.
I just need more free time to watch. Unlike other services who have a ton of mediocre movies and shows, and only a few good ones.
 
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Bug-Creator

Bug-Creator

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Amazing Iceman said:
Most ATV+ Shows are A++. Excellent quality content,
Click to expand...

And how do they do that? By charging every user a few ct regardless whether they like that show or not.
If football brings in more subscribers than it costs the can continue to hold up that level quality.
(and off course increase profits, but thats something they gonna try no matter what).
 
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