FIFA’s new club tournament at risk after Apple rights talks stall

The Apple deal is slated at $1 billion for FIFA’s new club tournament, a quarter of what FIFA wanted, as critics say tournament would put too much pressure on players.

David Hellier and Giles Turner for Bloomberg News:
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FIFA’s new Club World Cup tournament has hit another stumbling block, with clubs pushing back against lower financial incentives and an ongoing struggle to find a broadcaster, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The new competition, set to be played in the US next summer to create some buzz ahead of the 2026 World Cup, will see 32 clubs from all over the globe compete in a World Cup-style tournament.

FIFA was in talks with Apple Inc. for worldwide television rights earlier this year, which would help pay fees to participating teams, the people said. However the discussions have stalled, with FIFA now considering selling the rights to the tournament to regional broadcasters, the people added, asking not to be named discussing private information.

A representative for FIFA said there are “many” parties interested in media and commercial partnerships, and it’s working daily to maximize the opportunity for everyone involved.

“FIFA is fully confident and convinced of the commercial and sporting success of the new competition,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “FIFA is in regular and productive dialogue with the key counterparties involved including prospective venues, media and commercial partners, and of course the clubs themselves.”

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MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, Apple can still get a piece of this.

Perhaps Cook should consider bidding for and winning NFL Sunday Ticket away from Direct TV, buying rights to Premiere League and La Liga games, etc. and making them Apple TV exclusives. Go directly to the sports leagues with boatloads of cash. – MacDailyNews, May 6, 2014
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