ITV risk angering FIFA with bid to broadcast £800m tournament without paying

ITV brazenly submitted a zero-pounds offer to broadcast the Club World Cup this summer.

The expanded tournament is the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Thirty-two clubs will travel to the United States for the competition, which will kick off on 14 June and run through to 13 July.

But it has been met with a lukewarm reaction from fans, with ticket sale sluggish at best. Players and managers have also spoken out against the new tournament, with the final to be played just a month before the 2025/2026 season starts.

FIFA had also struggled to find broadcasting partners, though finally struck an £800million deal with DAZN in December for the global rights. DAZN is expected to follow through on its promise of a fee streaming service.

Before that deal was struck though, ITV had hopes of winning the UK rights. According to The Telegraph, the broadcaster hoped to be handed the contract free of charge if it agreed to put games on its main terrestrial channels.

Is is claimed that ITV made the offer in the belief that a commitment alone to invest in production costs and offer to broadcast games to a wide audience would be enough to tempt FIFA into a deal.

They did not commit any funds to the project, which Infantino had been banking on getting FIFA in on the lucrative TV rights market. DAZN are said to be undecided about sublicensing the rights to a British broadcaster.

The streamer is understood to be hopeful that British fans will log in to their own service to watch the games. Manchester City and Chelsea are the Premier League's two British representatives, though neither have a chance of winning either the title or the Champions League this season.

ITV have so far opted against commenting on the offer. An ITV spokesperson said: “We would never comment on speculative contractual matters.”

Infantino and FIFA have faced mounting criticism over the decision to push ahead with the new tournament. City star Rodri has previously threatened strike action while, La Liga president Javier Tebas urged FIFA to scrap the tournament last October.

“Mr President (Infantino), you know you have not sold the broadcast rights for the Club World Cup, you know you have not sold any sponsorship rights,” said Tebas at the time. “Scrap the Club World Cup.

"It is not needed by the players, the clubs or FIFA. If you use FIFA’s own money to pay for it, you are taking money away from the national associations. Please scrap it.”