FIFA and Apple TV close to a broadcast agreement for 2025 Club World Cup

FIFA and Apple TV are reportedly close to a broadcast rights agreement for the 2025 Club World Cup, which will feature an expanded field of 32 teams and European giants like Man City and Real Madrid.

Last year, Apple TV entered the soccer streaming space when it inked a massive 10-year, $2.5billion deal with Major League Soccer.

And now, according to the New York Times, the tech giant looks set to strike a deal with FIFA, in an agreement that would represent the first time the soccer governing body sold broadcast rights to just one company.

While FIFA had reportedly estimated the value of the tournament at $4billion, the Times said Apple could win the Club World Cup rights for 'as little' as a quarter of that figure - or $1billion.

The newly-expanded tournament format was meant to debut in 2021 in China, but plans were thwarted because of the COVID pandemic

The 2025 tournament will be held in the USA as a tune-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Nonetheless, sponsors have reportedly been 'reluctant' to pay the $150million in sponsorship fees that FIFA is seeking.

The deal would represent another big investment into soccer for Apple after its deal with MLS.

With Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami last summer, the returns on Apple's investment have been promising, as the company passed two million subscribers for MLS Season Pass (the streaming service launched by MLS and Apple) last year, according to Sports Business Journal.

The 2025 Club World Cup will feature a bevvy of top teams from around the world, with Bayern Munich, PSG, Flamengo and Monterrey also among the confirmed participants.

The tournament will reportedly be played between June 15 and July 13 next year.