FIFA Soon To Make A TV Broadcast Agreement With Apple For A New Tournament

Apple TV will soon establish an agreement with FIFA (photo: x @AppleTV)

JAKARTA - FIFA, a global football body, is rumored to be soon finalizing an agreement with Apple that will provide the technology company with global television broadcasting rights for an important new tournament.

The tournament or competition has a month-long World Cup style between the top teams to be held for the first time in the United States next summer.

The deal could be announced as soon as this month, according to three people familiar with the matter, who were not allowed to discuss the deal publicly as it has not been officially confirmed.

The deal comes after several attempts failed for a competition supported by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Plans to hold it in China in 2021 were canceled due to the pandemic.

The value of the deal may be only a quarter of FIFA's estimated initial $4 billion, according to sources. It's not yet clear whether the deal with Apple will include free broadcast rights, meaning the entire show may only be available to Apple TV+ subscribers, a factor senior executive concerns at FIFA.

If the deal is reached, this will be FIFA's first time, to host the World Cup with 48 teams for the first time in the United States by 2026, agreeing to a single contract globally.

It will also be Apple's latest move into the world of football, which in 2022 signed a $25 billion deal for 10 years for Major League Soccer's global streaming broadcasting rights.