The FIFA Club World Cup, DAZN and what it all means for clubs

Pete Oliver, CEO of growth markets at DAZN, speaks to the Bottom Line

The FIFA Club World Cup trophy (GETTY IMAGES)

The football season is winding down and we’ll soon have a long wait in store for our next football fix, right? Wrong.

Football doesn’t stop. Some clubs, such as Manchester United, will be jetting off to take part in money-spinning post-season games (they are now a thing, apparently) immediately after the regular season concludes as clubs look to eke out the last bit of revenue they can for the current financial year.

For most Premier League clubs there will be a break, and the pre-season will be a succession of meaningless exhibition games with the sole purpose of building up fitness for another season of the Premier League, domestic cup competitions and European football.

But for Chelsea and Manchester City, as well as 30 other teams from across the globe, the revamped, expanded and hugely lucrative FIFA World Cup takes place this summer in the US, with the prize of as much as $100m on offer to the winners of the tournament.

The competition to determine the greatest team in world club football, or at least from those given route to the competition by virtue of winning their own continents major multi-country knockout competitions, will run from June 14 to July 13 and will be broadcast by streaming giant DAZN, free to air across the world.

Broadcast rights are in a sticky spot in some countries, with even DAZN ending its agreement with France’s Ligue 1 recently, while the Premier League’s own domestic rights with Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Amazon, has shown some signs of stagnation that will likely lead to medium term decline.

But DAZN believe that their position a streaming only broadcaster means that they are in a position to be able to deliver what others couldn’t when it comes to a competition where the new iteration, it is hoped by FIFA, will create a genuinely compelling and competitive tournament that will capture global interest in many markets at a crucial time.

DAZN chief executive officer of growth markets, Pete Oliver, sat down with the Bottom Line to explain why they were keen to get the deal done, and what it might mean for clubs and interest in the game 12 months out from the FIFA World Cup in North America.