Broadcasting duo tussle for UK television rights to Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup fixtures

Two major broadcasters are reportedly battling to win TV rights to show the FIFA Club World Cup in the UK ahead of the summer’s US-based tournament.

32 teams will face off in a first-of-its-kind, expanded Club World Cup across June and July, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino – who wants to raise the competition to the ‘pinnacle of club football’ globally.

Both Manchester City and Chelsea will claim a sizeable chunk of the now-confirmed $1 billion cash pool owing to their participation in the tournament, which will be held in the United States.

DAZN have won the global TV rights for the competition and the broadcaster are sub-licensing rights in major territories, including the UK, according to the information of James Gray for iPaper.

Both ITV and Channel 5 are believed to be fighting it out for broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom ahead of the summer’s tournament, though neither is believed to have made a significant financial offer instead placing zero-pound bids.

Should the former secure the streaming rights, then – from the side of ITV – their plan would be to broadcast the tournament largely on ITV4, with BBC and Channel 4 understood to not be vying for rights to show the Club World Cup.

Warner Bros Discovery have already won the race to receive sub-licensing rights from DAZN in the USA, and Warner Bros-owned TNT Sports are said to be ‘unlikely’ to make a bid for Club World Cup streaming rights in the UK.

Manchester City’s participation in the Club World Cup will boost their transfer chest ahead of the 2025/26 season and could give Pep Guardiola the perfect opportunity to assess potential signings when the club overhaul in the summer.

City return to action on Saturday lunchtime in a tricky top-four Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground after successive wins over Tottenham and Plymouth Argyle in the English top-flight and FA Cup respectively.