Channel 5 will air live coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup this summer after striking a sublicensing agreement with Dazn, the global rights holder. The deal ensures that 23 of the tournament’s 63 matches will be shown free-to-air in the UK, including the final, key group games, and major knockout stage fixtures.
The tournament, featuring elite clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, will run from 14 June to 13 July. The expanded format includes 32 top clubs, with global attention expected throughout.
Dazn, which paid $1 billion for the rights—largely backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund through Surj Sports Investment—will stream all 63 matches via its app globally, ensuring full access for fans.
This marks Channel 5’s most significant sports event to date, as it looks to grow its sports portfolio. Talks are also ongoing to acquire rights to England T20 cricket matches this summer. The Channel 5-Dazn partnership will promote Dazn’s brand across the broadcast, using its coverage and commentary team rather than producing in-house.
The agreement follows a challenging TV rights process for FIFA, with Apple TV walking away last year and traditional UK broadcasters like BBC and ITV choosing not to bid due to their focus on the Women’s Euro 2025.