Apple TV probably won't be the home of the FIFA Club World Cup after all, despite rumors of a likely streaming deal
That's one soccer tournament that won't be on Apple TV.
![football in a stadium](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BCZZMZanWqefXbTCzoQhPY-320-80.jpg)
Rumors that Apple could be ready to announce a deal to stream the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup globally via the Apple TV app might have been premature, with the rights now likely to go elsewhere.
There had been claims that Apple and FIFA were in talks over a global streaming deal that would be worth less than $1 billion for the 2025 event that will kick off in less than a year's time, but a new report notes that the soccer governing body has now opened the tournament to tender, allowing other media companies to put their case — and their wallets — forward for consideration.
Specifically, the media rights covering the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East & North Africa regions now have an official invitation to tender open to companies who want to show the games live, suggesting that a global deal with Apple is less likely than ever.
Game off
The New York Times'-owned The Athletic reports that FIFA is now looking beyond Apple, saying in a statement that the tender process will allow it “to select the entity, or entities, that are best placed to secure the required transmission and programming commitments on a global, regional, or territory-specific basis”. Companies looking to get involved have until August 20 to submit their proposals.
Apple had been tipped to take the global rights in much the same way it did when it signed a 10-year $2.5 billion deal to stream Major League Soccer to the world. That deal means that MLS Season Pass is only available via the Apple TV app, for a fee, but some FIFA sponsorship partners were concerned that putting the Club World Cup behind a similar paywall may impact its availability to those unwilling, or unable, to subscribe.
More from iMore
- Apple close to major football streaming deal
- Apple could prove to be a luxury streaming option for FIFA's new Club World Cup
- Apple's interest in streaming the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup could bolster its live sports portfolio
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.