FIFA has taken the plunge.
Football’s global governing framework has founded its own streaming platform, FIFA. With the launch, Zurich goes from being a media rights distributor to a full-fledged, albeit small and cautious broadcast operator. The beginnings may be modest, but FIFA has the prospect of being one of the disruptive game-changers that takes place once in a generation.
First of all, the platform will be available and will use the advertising profits to achieve its purpose of reaching the break-even point within a year. More than 40,000 matches will be broadcast live in the first year alone. Viewers can also access FIFA’s large archive curtains, adding up every World Cup match ever recorded on tape: more than 2,000 hours of content. The platform will also feature original documentaries featuring some of the game’s brightest stars.
There is no doubt that FIFA will gain advantages in football. As FIFA President Gianni Infantino said, by marking the launch of the platform, the platform has the potential to democratize the game. Football can be a lucrative business for officials, broadcasters and sponsors. in major European markets, however, there are countries where local leagues fight for visibility. Member associations will take advantage of live match revenues, a style that will strengthen the entire football ecosystem. FIFA can contribute to the progress of such leagues by providing those games to fans. It can also add a special touch to women’s football: 11,000 of the 40,000 matches FIFA plans to broadcast in the first year will be played by women.
FIFA’s director of strategy and business development, Charlotte Burr, has already pointed out that, in the long term, it is possible that only paid content will be brought to FIFA. At the heart of the platform’s launch is a broader question: Is the global federation contemplating its own Netflix?Is the platform set up as a selection destination for football content?
Industry experts have long predicted that streaming games and how football enthusiasts will enjoy live events will move from TV to streaming platforms. It may only have been a matter of time before FIFA introduced its own streaming service, considering maximizing profits has been a maximum. Sensible precedent for the organization. With the launch of FIFA, the goalkeepers of the world’s most popular game are now in a position to make even more money from it.
Streaming is already big business, but there’s plenty of room for growth. A study conducted through Verified Market Research in 2021 estimated that the live sports streaming business would grow from $18. 1 billion in 2020 to $87. 3 billion through 2028.
As the number one game in the world, it goes without saying that football will be the most important component of this pie. The game has already started to generate a bit of profit from the streaming components. La Liga recently struck a deal with Amazon to broadcast matches. on its Prime Video streaming service, while the Premier League counts as the official holder of the rights in Spain and Canada, the DAZN mobile application. FIFA can become a direct rival for the first participants. Of course, in the short term, FIFA will not compete with the big broadcasters and generation platforms. There will also be no premium media rights. The platform considers more modest products.
The long term may be different. FIFA can simply hegemonize football broadcasting, prospectively directing billions in profits from a booming market to the organization’s jackpot. at a time when mobile phones and tablets are replacing TVs as the world’s favorite way to stick to live sports, the prospect is huge.
However, all this represents a greater situation for FIFA. FIFA’s initial offer is unlikely to have sponsors lining up to be announced. Income will be limited. FIFA will also want to know how such a platform can coexist with its existing TV earnings resources, lately its main source of profit, and how those broadcasters might react to FIFA. There will be a number of hurdles to overcome, but if FIFA plays its cards right, it may turn out to be a sensible decision. The sports industry will be closely attached.