Discussions between Apple and FIFA over TV rights for a new soccer tournament have stumbled, putting the future of the high-profile competition in doubt.
Apple has regularly paid out for rights to sporting events
In April, it was reported that Apple was in talks with FIFA to potentially secure the TV rights for a new soccer tournament. At the time, the deal was valued at about $1 billion, but it seems the competition is now in jeopardy.
According to sources of Bloomberg, the talks to stream the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have halted, with FIFA now looking elsewhere.
The apparent stumbling block was Apple's bid. It seems that $1 billion was a quarter of what FIFA wanted for the deal.
Furthermore, an exclusivity deal with Apple for broadcasting apparently became an issue for potential sponsors. Rather, it seems sponsoring companies wanted the tournament to be on free-to-air networks, instead of behind an Apple paywall.
FIFA is now apparently in talks with other broadcasters, with a view to forming country-level deals instead of an all-encompassing one.
Apple's bid is only one apparent reason for the tournament's poor fortunes. It seems FIFA asked teams to accept a lower fee for playing than they were previously offered.
With Apple's bid rejection and sponsor troubles, it seems that there may not be as much money up for grabs to get the tournament underway.