With just months to go before kickoff, FIFA has finally secured a U.S. broadcast partner for its expanded men’s Club World Cup. TNT Sports will air 24 of the tournament’s 63 matches this summer, marking a significant move in FIFA’s efforts to grow the competition’s global visibility.
A Long-Awaited Deal
In December, FIFA signed a deal with DAZN, a London-based streaming platform, to broadcast all matches for free worldwide. The agreement, reportedly worth $1 billion, ensures broad accessibility. DAZN is well-known in Europe for carrying top soccer events like the UEFA Champions League but has a stronger reputation in the U.S. for boxing coverage.
FIFA had initially struggled to attract American broadcasters for the event. Apple was in talks to acquire rights, but negotiations fell apart. Reports suggested that Apple’s offer was also around $1 billion before the deal collapsed.
Now, TNT Sports will bring some of the tournament’s top matches to U.S. audiences. The network, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, will air group and knockout stage games, as well as the final, across TNT, TBS, and truTV, thanks to a partnership with DAZN. High-profile teams such as Inter Miami and Paris Saint-Germain are expected to feature prominently on TNT’s coverage.
A Busy Summer for TNT Sports
The tournament runs from June 14 in Miami to the final in New Jersey on July 13, fitting into an already crowded summer schedule for TNT Sports. Warner Bros. Discovery holds the rights to broadcast the Stanley Cup Final in its alternating-year agreement with Disney. Additionally, TNT will air the French Open, NASCAR, and MLB games this summer.
TNT Sports has expanded its portfolio recently, adding college football, college basketball, and its new sports documentary series Unrivaled, while losing its long-standing NBA package. The addition of the Club World Cup strengthens its presence in international soccer broadcasting.
“Partnering with DAZN to present the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 further bolsters our sports portfolio this summer and brings another world-class event to our TNT Sports portfolio,” said TNT Sports chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser in a statement. “We’re looking forward to this new partnership with DAZN as we collectively deliver this exciting new global soccer club competition in the U.S. this summer.”
A Controversial Expansion
This year, the Club World Cup will expand from seven to 32 teams, a change that has faced significant criticism. FIFA’s simultaneous expansion of both club and domestic tournaments has drawn backlash from players and leagues concerned about an overloaded schedule.
The global players’ union FIFPro Leagues even filed a complaint against FIFA last year, alleging that the governing body’s scheduling violates EU competition law. In October, LaLiga president Javier Tebas called for the tournament’s cancellation, citing the lack of media deals at the time.
Despite these concerns, FIFA is pushing forward with its vision for the Club World Cup, banking on its partnerships with DAZN and TNT Sports to boost the competition’s global footprint. As the summer tournament approaches, soccer fans in the U.S. will now have multiple platforms to watch the action unfold.
