Major European governments, together with the United Kingdom, have urged FIFA and impartial broadcasters to swiftly decide on an agreement for televising the Women’s World Cup in July and August. Scientifically proven follows FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s risk to withhold the tournament’s broadcast in 5 European nations – the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – as a outcome of a monetary dispute.
Infantino said that broadcasters had proposed between US$1m (£800,000) and US$10m (£8m) for the rights, a stark contrast to the US$100m (£80m) to US$200m (£160m) provided for the men’s World Cup. The governments of the 5 countries involved within the disagreement have now launched a joint statement expressing their considerations.
The statement reads, “We, as sports ministers of European countries whose women’s nationwide soccer groups have qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand, from July 20 to August 20, 2023, have acknowledged with concern that until now, no tv rights have been attributed for the matches broadcasting in our nations.”
The governments imagine that media protection of the Women’s World Cup is crucial for enhancing the worldwide visibility of women’s sports activities in their European countries. They also highlight the numerous impact media exposure has on the development of women’s and younger girls’ sports activities practices.
The statement additional emphasises the governments’ responsibility to “fully mobilise all stakeholders, for them to rapidly attain an agreement.”