Sports streamer DAZN will take over FIFA’s connected television (CTV) channels and platforms as part of a robust agreement reached this week.
The deal will see DAZN operate and distribute FIFA Plus, including its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel and premium subscription service, which offers live broadcasts and on-demand replays of FIFA matches and shoulder programming.
The new FIFA Plus platform operated by DAZN will expand on FIFA’s streaming offerings by including more on-demand replays, documentaries and soccer-focused shows, the two sides said.
The agreement comes several months after DAZN was announced as the global broadcaster for the FIFA Club World Cup this year. In some countries, including the United States, DAZN is sublicensing some or all of its Club World Cup matches to traditional broadcasters and pay TV networks.
On DAZN’s own app, the company will launch a new daily recap show called “The Press,” which will include tournament highlights and insights from leading soccer personalities.
“This partnership with FIFA cements DAZN’s role as the ultimate digital destination for [soccer], allowing fans everywhere to access a vast, premium [soccer] content library,” Shay Segev, the CEO of DAZN Group, said in a statement. “Together with FIFA’s brand and reach, we will deliver an unmatched entertainment experience, supporting FIFA’s vision of expanding the game’s global footprint and engaging new audiences.”
“At FIFA, we are proud to always be looking towards the future, looking at how to innovate, with the specific aim of protecting and nurturing the growth of our game for the generations ahead,” Mattias Grafström, the Secretary-General of FIFA, said this week. “This partnership with DAZN aligns exactly with that objective. Their vision is global, as is ours, and we look forward to furthering our collaboration with them through FIFA Plus as the home of [soccer].”
Following the FIFA Club World Cup tournament, FIFA and DAZN will partner on a “continuous, exclusive news service,” which will allow soccer fans to “stay connected to all the latest action and stories from across the globe,” the companies said.
The FIFA Plus platform will offer comprehensive coverage of soccer matches and tournaments from over 150 men’s and women’s leagues around the world.
Less clear is what will happen to FIFA’s existing FAST channel, also called FIFA Plus, which is currently offered on third-party platforms like Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Rakuten TV and VIDAA Channels. The streaming channel launched two years ago as a showcase portal for past FIFA events and archive documentaries.
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