- FIFA President Expresses Displeasure Over Major
European Nations' Bids for Women's Rights
- Refers to it as a 'Slap in the Face' to Players and
Women Everywhere
FIFA's president, Gianni
Infantino, has expressed concern that a broadcasting blackout of the upcoming
Women's World Cup is likely to occur in Europe if the bids made by broadcasters
in the region for the rights to broadcast the tournament are not improved.
Speaking at a meeting of the
World Trade Organization in Geneva, Infantino criticized the offers made by the
big five European countries, namely Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France,
which he deemed unacceptable compared to the amount offered for the men's
tournament. He described the bids as a "slap in the face" for players
and women globally.
Infantino took to Instagram
earlier to express his disapproval of the broadcasters, claiming that the
highest bid made for the women's World Cup rights was only $10m compared to the
$200m offered for the men's tournament. According to sources, the BBC and ITV
have offered around £9m to share the broadcasting rights of the upcoming
tournament, with negotiations ongoing.
While the time-zone difference
means that Women's World Cup matches are likely to be aired outside prime-time
viewing hours for European audiences, Infantino argued that the matches would
still be shown at reasonable hours, with some starting at 9 or 10 am in Europe.
The 2019 Women's World Cup in France reportedly drew in over a billion viewers
across all platforms, with Infantino pointing out that viewing figures for the
tournament were 50-60% of those for the men's World Cup.
Infantino warned that if the
broadcasters' offers continue to be unfair, FIFA would be forced not to
broadcast the Women's World Cup into the "big five" European
countries. Italy's offer was particularly low, according to reports. Both ITV
and Channel 4 have been approached for comment, while a BBC spokesperson
declined to comment on sports rights negotiations. Nevertheless, sources
suggest that FIFA is closer to striking a television deal in the UK.
