Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, has warned that a TV blackout of this summer’s Women’s World Cup is on the cards in Europe unless broadcasters there improve on their “unacceptable” offers for the rights.
Speaking at a World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva, Infantino said the bids from the big five countries – Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and France – were so low compared with the men’s tournament that they amounted to a “slap in the face” of the players and “all women worldwide”.
However the good news for British fans is that Fifa sources are privately conceding that a UK television deal is not not a million miles away – and that Infantino’s fire is directed more at the other major European nations. It is understood that BBC and ITV have bid about £9m to share the tournament, which starts in Australia and New Zealand on 20 July.
England and Scotland will meet in the inaugural Uefa Women's Nations League. The teams met at the 2019 World Cup in France when goals from Nikita Parris and Ellen White gave England a 2-1 victory, with Claire Emslie replying for Scotland. Also in League A1 after the draw in Nyon are the Netherlands and Belgium, meaning England's Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman will come up against her native country.
Wales were drawn in League A3 alongside Germany, Denmark and Iceland. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were paired in League B1 with Hungary and Albania.
The competition will be played in a similar format to the men's Nations League, with the 51 competing nations divided into two leagues of 16 and one of 19. The four League A winners will progress to the finals, which will act as Europe's 2024 Olympic qualifiers. There will be promotion and relegation between the leagues before the start of qualifying matches for the 2025 European Championship.
Wiegman said: "I think it is really good that Uefa have looked to improve the competitive balance. We all said we want the game to grow and always have competitive games so it is really good Uefa have looked to address that. The way the competition is set up, it should improve the competitive balance whilst giving everyone the opportunity to qualify for the Euros.”
Games across all three leagues will be played in September, October and November with the finals held in February 2024. PA Media
Earlier Infantino had posted a lengthy attack on broadcasters on Instagram, in which he said that they had offered only $1m-$10m (£800,000-£8m) for the rights for the Women’s World Cup, compared with $100m-$200m for the men’s tournament. Italy’s offer is said to be particularly low.
“To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the Fifa Women’s World Cup,” Infantino said. “Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair, we will be forced not to broadcast the Fifa Women’s World Cup into the ‘big five’ European countries.”
Due to the time-zone difference, Women’s World Cup matches will be held outside prime-time viewing hours for European markets but Infantino said that was no excuse given that many games would kick off at 9am or 10am in Europe.
“The viewing figures of the Fifa Women’s World Cup are 50-60% of the men’s World Cup (which in turn are the highest of any event), yet the broadcasters’ offers in the ‘Big 5’ European countries for the Fifa Women’s World Cup are 20 to 100(!) times lower than for the men’s FIFA World Cup,” he wrote on Instagram. “This is a slap in the face of all the great Fifa Women’s World Cup players and indeed of all women worldwide.”
More than a billion viewers tuned into the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France across all platforms, according to Fifa figures. A BBC spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on sports rights negotiations.” ITV and Channel 4 have been approached for comment.
