November 3: Broadcaster DAZN, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment Group, has secured an exclusive option for global broadcast rights for the upcoming Men’s Club World Cup scheduled for 2029, according to The Guardian.
SURJ Sports Investment Group bought a 10% stake in DAZN in 2025, shortly before the streaming giant helped FIFA by paying $1 billion for the rights to the inaugural tournament held in the United States.
The exclusive option ties the world governing body back to the Arabian Peninsula and specifically Saudi Arabia, the country that will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The Saudi Football Federation (SAFF) recently backed FIFA president Gianni Infantino for re-election at the helm of world football, despite the recent FIFA Forward Enterprise debacle that saw Infantino attempt to sell the commercial rights to FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Neither FIFA nor DAZN have publicly confirmed the 2029 deal, and the value of the option – or the period in which it must be exercised – has not been disclosed.
But if it goes ahead, the deal would give DAZN first refusal on another edition of a competition it helped launch commercially in 2025.
The 2025 deal saw DAZN become the exclusive global broadcaster for all 63 matches, which were broadcast free-to-air worldwide, with the platform also able to sub-license games to local broadcasters. FIFA described the agreement at the time as the start of a wider relationship between the two organisations.
The $1 billion rights fee effectively equaled FIFA’s prize pot for the tournament, with champions Chelsea eventually taking home around $114 million.
FIFA and DAZN have since gone further, announcing a strategic partnership around FIFA+, while FIFA said the 2025 Club World Cup reached a global audience of 2.7 billion through DAZN, sub-licensing and other platforms.
However, the potential 2029 deal comes as the next tournament is largely undefined – FIFA has yet to confirm a host, its venues or whether the competition will stay at 32 teams – and discussions continue over a possible expansion to 48.
This uncertainty, when it comes to locking down a major media partner, is really useful.
FIFA originally went to market with rights packages covering both the 2025 and 2029 Club World Cups in 2024. DAZN opting for the second tournament now would give FIFA one less commercial headache to deal with while the format and hosting plans are still being worked out.
The 2025 bailout looks less like a one-off for DAZN and instead the start of a long-term position alongside FIFA’s flagship club competition.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
