Fifa president Gianni Infantino has threatened to not broadcast the Women's World Cup in five European countries unless TV companies improve their rights offers. Infantino said "disappointing" offers from the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France were a "slap in the face" of the players and "all women worldwide". He added it was Fifa's "moral and legal obligation not to undersell" the event. The World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, starts on 20 July. Infantino said European broadcasters had offered world football's governing body $1m-$10m (£800,000-£8m) for the rights, compared with $100m-$200m for the men's World Cup. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65453756
Maybe the mens rights are too high? I dont think the dream of growing the womens game will be achieved by a blackout in some of the countries best trying to do it…
Let’s face it the TV companies after lording over Woman’s football are now trying to get it on the cheap and to be fair to FIFA how are they going to dip their sticky fingers in the money pot if there is no cash.
He really is an oaf isn't he? I guess he knows how all the women of the world are feeling today as he must have regularly been slapped in the face as a child. And probably well into adulthood.
Is FIFA about expanding the game or making money? They already have and make billions more every year.
TV companies obviously don't think it will make them the money to bid in the same regions of the men's games, I don't think the location helps, aren't the games just going to be on a really poor times for European audience? It's approx 2am there at 5pm UK time.... it's great the womens game is growing and it will continue to grow with the support it's getting, but it's just not commercially lucrative. Add it all together and that's why the bids are at the level they are imo
Match times... July 20 Group A: New Zealand vs Norway (8am) Group B: Australia vs Republic of Ireland (11am) July 21 Group B: Nigeria vs Canada (3.30am) Group A: Philippines vs Switzlerland (6am) Group C: Spain vs Costa Rica (8.30am) July 22 Group E: USA vs Vietnam (2am) Group C: Zambia vs Japan (8am) Group D: England vs Haiti (10.30am) Group D: Denmark vs China (1pm) July 23 Group G: Sweden vs South Africa (6am) Group E: Netherlands vs Portugal (8.30am) Group F: France vs Jamaica (11am) July 24 Group G: Italy vs Argentina (7am) Group H: Germany vs Morocco (9.30am) Group F: Brazil vs Panama (12pm) July 25 Group H: Colombia vs South Korea (3am) Group A: New Zealand vs Philippines (6.30am) Group A: Switzerland vs Norway (9am) July 26 Group C: Japan vs Costa Rica (6am) Group C: Spain vs Zambia (8.30am) Group B: Canada vs Republic of Ireland (1pm) July 27 Group E: USA vs Netherlands (2am) Group E: Portugal vs Vietnam (8.30am) Group B: Australia vs Nigeria (11am) July 28 Group G: Argentina vs South Africa (1am) Group D: England vs Denmark (9.30am) Group D: China vs Haiti (12pm) July 29 Group G: Sweden vs Italy (8.30am) Group F: France vs Brazil (11am) Group F: Panama vs Jamaica (1.30pm) July 30 Group H: South Korea vs Morocco (5.30am) Group H: Germany vs Colombia (10.30am) Group A: Norway vs Philippines (8am) Group A: Switzerland vs New Zealand (8am) July 31 Group C: Japan vs Spain (8am) Group C: Costa Rica vs Zambia (8am) Group B: Republic of Ireland vs Nigeria (11am) Group B: Canada vs Australia (11am) August 1 Group E: Vietnam vs Netherlands (8am) Group E: Portugal vs USA (8am) Group D: China vs England (12pm) Group D: Haiti vs Denmark (12pm) August 2 Group G: Argentina vs Sweden (8am) Group G: South Africa vs Italy (8am) Group F: Panama vs France (11am) Group F: Jamaica vs Brazil (11am) August 3 Group H: Morocco vs Colombia (11am) Group H: South Korea vs Germany (11am) Round of 16 August 5 Group A winner vs Group C runner-up (5am) Group C winner vs Group A runner-up (8am) August 6 Group E winner vs Group G runner-up (3am) Group G winner vs Group E runner-up (10am) August 7 Group B winner vs Group D runner-up (11.30am) Group D winner vs Group B runner-up (8.30am) August 8 Group H winner vs Group F runner-up (9am) Group F winner vs Group H runner-up (12pm) Quarter-finals August 11 QF1: Group A winner/Group C runner-up vs Group E winner/Group G runner-up (2am) QF2: Group C winner/Group A runner-up vs Group G winner/Group E runner-up (8.30am) August 12 QF3: Group B winner/Group D runner-up vs Group F winner/Group H runner-up (8am) QF4: Group D winner/Group B runner-up vs Group H winner/Group F runner-up (11.30am) Semi-finals August 15 SF1: Winner of Quarter Final 1 vs Winner of Quarter Final 2 (8am) August 16 SF2: Winner of Quarter Final 3 vs Winner of Quarter Final 4 (11am) Third Place Match August 19 Loser of Semi-final 1 vs Loser of Semi-final 2 (9am) Final August 20 Winner of Semi-final 1 vs Winner of Semi-final 2 (11am)
Considering over 17 million people watched the Women's Euros Final last year, I'd say they would probably be very interested in showing it, yes.
Yeah, especially considering the women's game has grown too I think they'd definitely have a shot at matching it, despite the time zone. Also, if the BBC are showing all the games in the mornings it might be nice to have something worth watching on daytime TV...
This is really, really shabby from Infantino and FIFA. Clearly, the market dictates what broadcasters will be prepared to pay. They will definitely want to have the rights but they know their value and aren't going to overpay just because FIFA want them to. Pretending to care about the gender equality issue (which FIFA have done very little in support of) as a way of trying to publicly shame the broadcasters into paying more, is disgusting.
