FIFA aiming to raise funds to grow its streaming service

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FIFA is looking to raise up to $2.97 billion AUD in order to expand its streaming service FIFA+ by working with the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS).

According to Bloomberg, Football’s governing body is collaborating with UBS Group AG. A formal fundraising process is expected to commence in July, targeting mostly financial investors from the US and the Middle East.

Despite no comments from UBS and FIFA, deliberations are at an early stage with certain details such as timing and fundraising size could change with tFIFA preparing to offer a minority stake in FIFA+.

Launched in April 2022, FIFA+ is a free, ad-supported streaming service that planned to stream over 40,000 live games a year, with at least a quarter of them coming from women’s matches. The streaming service also provided highlights, archive footage, documentaries, docuseries, talk shows and shorts.

Currently, FIFA+ has offered live streaming in smaller broadcasting markets where it was offered for free in countries where it didn’t have the TV rights for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) streamed all of its competitions on the platform while also showing live coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup in some territories.

However, FIFA is currently struggling to find a major broadcaster for next year’s FIFA Club World Cup which is set to be held in the U.S.

According to SportsPro Media, Apple reportedly offered FIFA $1.49 AUD for worldwide television rights for the tournament. But, this is much less than FIFA’s intended $5.94 billion AUD.

It is still unclear how FIFA would use these potential funds to improve its current streaming service, but some potential ideas include technological development, marketing and direct rights acquisitions.

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FIFA has partnered with Konami to host the FIFAe World Cup

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Image credit: FIFA website

FIFA has entered into a partnership with Konami to use its eFootball game for the FIFAe World Cup.

This collaboration will feature two tournaments, one for console and one for mobile, with participants from 18 nations competing for the title of FIFAe world champion.

This move is part of FIFA’s strategy to maintain relevance in gaming and esports, particularly in engaging younger fans. FIFA has also expanded its esports portfolio with deals involving Rocket League and Football Manager.

The partnership fills the void left by EA Sports following their high-profile split with FIFA in 2022. Konami’s eFootball, an evolution of the Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series, is currently the only comparable game to EA Sports FC on the market.

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai, has championed the new deal highlighting their excitement at the prospect.

“We are incredibly excited to join forces with Konami, this collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to promote football globally and to provide a platform for players to showcase their skills.”

Konami the Japanese gaming company, this partnership provides legitimacy and increased awareness for eFootball, which has struggled to compete with EA Sports in recent years.

The collaboration is seen as a necessary step for FIFA, given the lack of alternatives and the time it would take to develop a new soccer simulation game. It allows FIFA to continue its presence in soccer-based esports while exploring other gaming opportunities.

Esports has grown massively in viewership and investment over the last decades, it has become a major part of the franchising side of football.

Even in Australia the rise in Esports popularity has coincided with the rise in football popularity, one can not argue against their connection towards football popularity.

FIFA have shown that Esports has become an ever-present strategy in their development of the game. For investors and shareholders in football, Esports impact is something that should not be disregarded.

WSL triples viewership after move to YouTube

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Image credit: Jason Ilagan / Shutterstock.com

Viewership for Women’s Super League (WSL) matches streamed live on YouTube has more than trebled during the 2024/25 season.

This success is no coincidence. Beyond the clear rise in quality and star power across teams for the 2024/25 season, it’s also the first time in league history that non-televised games are streamed for free on YouTube.

Last season, the main issue with viewership was accessibility, where matches not picked up by domestic broadcasters were only available on the FA Player app or website, requiring users to create an account on a platform that was already unpopular.

In the 2023/24 season, the highest viewership for an online-only WSL game was Arsenal’s home fixture against Bristol City, which attracted 78,050 viewers.

However, this season has already shattered records. Over 250,000 fans tuned in on YouTube to watch Leicester face Arsenal in September, setting a new high for a WSL game not televised.

In total, the first three weeks of this season have seen a staggering 1,576,848 live views for WSL matches streamed on YouTube.

Women’s Championship matches have also benefited from the platform, with the season opener between newly promoted Newcastle and London City Lionesses setting a new record for the league, drawing 46,050 live viewers.

This spike in viewership comes at a crucial time for both the WSL and the Championship, as they are holding out for a new broadcasting rights deal set to begin after 2025. Both leagues smartly delayed signing earlier this year to avoid locking into a premature agreement.

The gamble absolutely paid off and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), now in charge of the top two leagues, will be using these numbers as leverage in discussions over the next major TV rights deal which should include the BBC and Sky Sports amongst other suitors.

Streaming must remain free for A-League Women’s growth 

The A-League Women’s impressively saw a 114% increase in viewership on 10 Play, where every game is streamed for free, and 125% on Paramount+ for the 2023/24 season.

While a switch to YouTube seems unlikely given Channel 10’s monopoly over A-League football, it’s crucial to keep every game available for free on 10 Play if they want viewership to continue rising.

As the WSL and previously the NWSL have demonstrated, offering free streamed games draws in viewers of all ages and ultimately helps turn them into paying fans. The league’s primary focus should be on building an audience as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

The impressive figures from this season suggest that the demand for women’s football is only increasing.

The WSL has made a brilliant move that is sure to enhance the upcoming record-breaking broadcast rights deal, helping the league continue to improve both on and off the field.

The next step is to take it mainstream, and the Ninja A-League should look to follow the blueprint set by the WSL, which has demonstrated how to rapidly gain widespread popularity.

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