The FIFA Club World Cup kicked off on Saturday so our TV writer Jake Hackney registered for a free DAZN account to catch all the action, here’s what he made of the streamer.
The FIFA Club World Cup kicked off over the weekend so I bagged myself a free DAZN account to see what all the fuss is about. Like many Brits, I’ve always associated DAZN with boxing, but as that’s never been my sport I’m yet to truly explore the platform.
DAZN is now the exclusive global broadcaster of all 63 fixtures in the Club World Cup and is airing every game for free, which is definitely more my bag. FIFA has really gone all out with this competition, revamping it with a new format featuring 32 of the best clubs from around the world.
There’s Manchester City and Chelsea representing the Premier League, plus the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Boca Juniors. The competition runs through to the final on July 13, and fans can register for a free DAZN account to watch every fixture.
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It certainly feels strange not watching football on the BBC or Sky Sports, but considering the quality of content and amount of extras on offer, I wouldn’t be surprised if DAZN becomes more synonymous with football in the coming years. I opted for the free account, but there’s also the option to upgrade to DAZN’s Premium plan from £9.99.
This includes every Club World Cup game in HDR picture quality and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, plus highlights, replays, fewer adverts and full access to the rest of the DAZN platform. But even with a free account, there’s plenty of football content to keep fans entertained in the lull between the Premier League and EFL seasons.
Watch the Club World Cup free on DAZN
The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world’s best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
What struck me was how much there is to watch besides the live games, with countless features, shows and compilations right there on the Club World Cup homepage. There’s interviews with some of the big names taking part including Harry Kane and Pep Guardiola, as well as DAZN’s ‘Icons’ series, which takes a closer look at each team and the 12 USA host cities.
I’ve also been enjoying the plethora of documentaries centred around greats like Cristiano Ronaldo, Maradona and Brazilian Ronaldo. There’s a host of vintage footage featuring all the goals scored by certain teams at previous FIFA World Cups, starring legends like Alessandro Del Piero, Raúl and Didier Drogba.
In short, there’s plenty to tuck into. But it’s easy to follow the latest competition too, with every upcoming fixture displayed on the Club World Cup homepage complete with dates and kick-off times, as well as the option to display the group brackets and tables, making it easy to keep up to date with the current standings.
You can follow your favourite teams in the competition to receive a push notification before their games, so I followed Chelsea and Man City. DAZN now reminds me about each of their fixtures just in case I forget – though as some kick off in the early hours, I think I’ll wait for their DAZN highlights.
For those who don’t want to sign up for another subscription, DAZN has also sublicensed select fixtures to Channel 5, meaning 23 games will be broadcast on both DAZN and 5. This may be a good option for less tech-savvy football fans who are not bothered about every game.
Of course, there’s also a classic Sky Sports which can be purchased for £35 a month for a 24-month contract alongside essential Sky TV. This includes nine dedicated channels, including the Premier League, Football, Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA, Netball and much more, though the length of contract may be a downside for some.
DAZN boasts some huge names in its Club World Cup punditry lineup, including none other than Brazilian legend Ronaldo. Other stars include John Obi Mikel and Sami Khedira, with Conor McNamara, Andros Townsend, Brad Friedel, Rob Green among the commentators, which makes a nice change from the usual voices on Sky or TNT Sports.
I’ve been using DAZN on both my Samsung smart TV and iPhone 13 and it’s performed largely ok. There have been times where it’s been slightly slow to respond and there’s been a bit of lag, but once a piece of content like a live game or documentary has loaded up I’ve experienced no major issues.