Club World Cup Could Redefine DAZN’s Streaming Future | OneFootball

DAZN’s Big Bet: Why the Club World Cup Is More Than Just a Tournament

When FIFA unveiled DAZN as the global broadcast partner for the newly expanded Club World Cup, it wasn’t just striking a commercial deal — it was gambling on a shared vision for football’s future. In return for a $1billion injection, FIFA got a platform to showcase all 63 matches of its summer showcase for free. For DAZN, this is less about short-term gain and more about positioning itself as the digital home of global sport.

Photo: IMAGO

Redefining Access to Global Football

“We think it is good value for money,” says Pete Oliver, DAZN’s chief executive of growth markets. His confidence echoes throughout the company, which sees the Club World Cup as a springboard to global relevance. DAZN is offering the entire tournament via its app — free to anyone who registers — in what FIFA president Gianni Infantino dubbed “the most widely accessible club football tournament ever.”

It’s a bold statement for a competition that has yet to capture mainstream imagination, but DAZN believes it’s more than justified. Real Madrid’s star-studded squad, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and fervently supported sides like River Plate and Al Ahly provide the global flavour. It is a tournament that, by design, tries to bottle football’s worldwide appeal.

Strategic Gamble or Calculated Campaign?

There are sceptics. The $1billion price tag raised eyebrows, especially with DAZN’s track record of losses — $1.4billion in 2023 alone, despite $2.9billion in revenue. But the company, backed by billionaire Sir Len Blavatnik, insists this is a strategic investment rather than a reckless punt. The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s minority stake and a $2.2billion acquisition of Australia’s Foxtel suggest a business scaling with intent.

Crucially, DAZN has not gone it alone. By sublicensing broadcast rights to TNT in the US and Channel 5 in the UK — which will air the final and at least one semi-final — the streamer has already recouped “hundreds of millions,” Oliver confirms. These deals bring exposure and soften financial risk.

Testing Technology and Trust

If DAZN is to succeed, it must deliver a seamless viewing experience. Technical issues with Serie A streams in 2021 and 2022 drew criticism and cast doubt on its infrastructure. This time, DAZN insists it is ready. “We’ve simulated 300million people watching at the same time,” says Oliver. New architecture, multilingual commentary and integration with FIFA+ aim to offer something no sports broadcaster has attempted before.

With more than 20 million subscribers, DAZN remains bullish. Football accounts for 80% of its viewership, and long-term deals with Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga show its commitment to the sport’s core. But the Club World Cup is different — it’s a brand builder, not a bankable product.

Long-Term Vision or Fantasy?

DAZN wants to be more than a broadcaster — it wants to be the platform through which global sport is consumed. The goal? One billion users worldwide. That might sound ambitious, bordering on utopian, but it is underpinned by a shift that has already transformed music and film.

“In our business, people look at DAZN and ask, ‘What the f*** are they doing?’” admits Pierre Maes, a sports media expert. “But they’re the only ambitious buyer left in Europe. They’re an opportunity and a danger.”

Whether the Club World Cup proves a success or an expensive experiment, it will shape DAZN’s trajectory. This isn’t just about a tournament, it’s about a broadcaster trying to rewrite the rules of the game.