Women’s World Cup: Due to lack of a satisfactory offer, FIFA threatens not to broadcast matches in Europe

What if France were stripped of the Women’s World Cup? As we explained to you this Saturday, the French broadcasters and FIFA, the organizer of the 2023 FIFA World Cup (July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand), have not yet reached an agreement on television rights. A situation that has been going on for several months and the outcome of which remains very uncertain less than 100 days after the start of the competition.

On Monday, during roundtables at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, Gianni Infantino presented his version of the facts. “Offers from broadcasters, mainly from the European Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England), are always very disappointing and simply unacceptable,” the FIFA president assures, citing several arguments.

“Firstly, 100% of the rights are for women’s football,” he begins. Second, public broadcasters in particular have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sports. Thirdly, the audience of the women’s world championship is approximately 50-60% of the audience of the men’s world championship. At the same time, broadcasters’ offers are 20-100 times lower. Lately, when broadcasters are offering $100 million to $200 million for the men’s world championship, they’re only offering $1 million to $10 million for the women’s. »

France Televisions as a savior?

Gianni Infantino emerges as a great defender of women’s football and calls “a slap in the face for all the players and women in general”. “To be very clear,” he concludes, “not to underestimate this World Cup is a moral and legal obligation. If the offers continue to be unfair, we will be forced to not broadcast the Women’s World Cup in these European Big Five countries.”

For the first time in history, the Women’s World Cup is held according to the male model (32 countries, 64 matches). According to our data, FIFA demanded between 15 and 20 million euros from French broadcasters for the entire tournament. But none of the players (TF1, M 6, BeIN Sports, Canal+, France Télévisions) are willing to invest that much for matches in midsummer in France and for matches broadcast in the morning (Bleues matches would take place at noon).

For them, investments seem too risky at a time of year when the audience is small and advertisers are absent. In France, the savior can be called France Télévisions, promoted by the Elysee Palace.