Image credit: FIFA

FIFA and sports streaming giant DAZN have announced that the 2025 Club World Cup reached a global audience of 2.7 billion viewers, marking the biggest tournament in the competition’s history.

DAZN, which secured worldwide broadcast rights for the expanded event in a landmark US$1 billion deal, made all 63 matches available free of charge in a bid to attract new users. The platform also sublicensed games to more than 100 broadcasters worldwide to broaden reach and recoup costs.

Until now, both FIFA and DAZN had remained cautious about sharing audience data. Nielsen Sports figures now reveal how the tournament performed in key markets, offering fresh insight into the global impact of the rebranded competition, which concluded two months ago in the United States.

Huge audiences in Brazil, Europe and the Middle East

Brazil, which had four clubs in the tournament, proved to be one of the strongest markets. More than 131 million people tuned in, with national broadcaster Globo securing its three biggest audiences of 2025. Flamengo’s clash with Bayern Munich alone drew 37.3 million viewers.

FIFA also reported a total viewership of 28 million in Italy and 24 million in Spain, where DAZN already has a strong foothold through its coverage of Serie A and LaLiga.

In Saudi Arabia, nearly 78 per cent of available viewers watched Manchester City take on Al Hilal, while in Argentina, Boca Juniors v Benfica attracted 9.1 million viewers – an 84.2 per cent audience share, the country’s highest rating since the 2023 Copa América final.

DAZN’s digital strategy

By offering free access, DAZN sought to convert casual viewers into long-term customers through advertising, betting services, and e-commerce. The broadcaster also positioned its coverage as a premium digital experience with interactive features and extra programming. According to DAZN, 80 per cent of its viewers also engaged with non-live content.

Both DAZN and Fifa also highlighted the tournament’s digital footprint. Four-fifths of global football fans were aware of the event, which became the most-searched sports competition on Google in 2025. Official Club World Cup social media channels reached nine million followers, while DAZN generated more than 10 billion impressions across its platforms.

“These preliminary figures confirm that the FIFA Club World Cup has been a global success and a game-changer,” said Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström. “From the incredible atmosphere in the stadiums in the United States to 2.7 billion people engaging around the world, the tournament has exceeded expectations.

“FIFA promised to take this tournament to the world, and there’s no doubt that the world took to the tournament. We thank our global broadcast partner DAZN for their support in delivering this success.”

DAZN chief executive Shay Segev added, “The numbers demonstrate the extraordinary global appetite for accessible, high-quality football content. Our partnership with FIFA for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 has set a new global benchmark for experiencing football and the tournament has shown just how powerful the sport can be when presented through a digital-first, fan-centric lens.

“Together with FIFA, we are proud to have set new standards for global reach and engagement and to have connected fans around the world to one of football’s most exciting tournaments.”

Revenue, investment and lingering questions

Despite the positive figures, questions remain over the financial return. FIFA had originally targeted US$4 billion in broadcast revenue but ended up receiving just a quarter of that through DAZN’s deal. DAZN only secured rights after a US$1 billion cash injection from SURJ Sports Investment, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

The Club World Cup prize pool was set at US$1 billion, ensuring teams received significant payouts, but the long-term commercial value of the deal is still unclear. Critics have also raised concerns about ticket sales, player workload, extreme weather conditions, and pitch quality during the tournament.

While DAZN’s global visibility increased, particularly in markets where it does not operate locally, transparency over its actual subscriber growth remains limited.

Looking ahead

Despite doubts over its financial performance, the 2025 Club World Cup achieved record engagement and viewership, boosting both FIFA’s and DAZN’s global profiles. With the tournament set to return in 2029, industry experts expect DAZN to be among the frontrunners to secure broadcast rights again.

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