Fifa threatens not to screen women’s World Cup in ‘Big 5’ European nations

Fifa, world football’s governing body, has threatened not to screen the women’s World Cup in five European countries, blaming “very disappointing” financial offers from broadcasters.

At an event in Geneva organised by Fifa and the World Trade Organization, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said broadcasters had made rights offers that were “simply not acceptable”.

“Whereas broadcasters pay $100-200mn for the men’s Fifa World Cup, they offer only $1-10mn for the Fifa Women’s World Cup,” he said. Viewing figures for the women’s event are 50 to 60 per cent of what they are for the men’s, he added.

“To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the Fifa Women’s World Cup. Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair (towards women and women’s football), we will be forced not to broadcast the Fifa Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries [UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France].” 

WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said she hoped broadcasters were paying attention to what Infantino was saying about increasing their bids, adding it was “a real opportunity to support women’s football”.

If the rights go unsold, it will be a blow for football at a critical time for the women’s game, which has built momentum and a fan base after years of neglect by authorities.

However, Fifa+, the governing body’s new video streaming service, will provide options to watch games, even if Fifa fails to reach agreement with broadcasters.

With fewer than 80 days until the World Cup starts on July 20, Fifa has yet to strike deals with broadcasters in leading European countries. Australia and New Zealand are hosting the month-long tournament and the timezone means European broadcasters are unable to show live matches at prime times.

“Maybe, because it is in Australia and New Zealand, it’s not played on primetime in Europe, but still, it is played at 9am or 10am, so it is quite a reasonable time,” said Infantino.

More than 365mn people watched the Uefa women’s Euro 2022 tournament, a record audience, while around 50mn people watched England beat Germany in the final at Wembley in London.

Despite growing audiences, women’s football generates a fraction of the revenues made by the men’s game.

Infantino promised that broadcasting revenue would be invested in women’s football. Fifa said earlier this year that the prize money at the forthcoming women’s World Cup will total $152mn, triple the total at the 2019 tournament but still behind the $440mn paid to the men in Qatar last year.