Due to unfair price offers from broadcasters, FIFA may decide not to broadcast the 2023 Women’s World Cup in the “Big 5” European nations.
The ‘Big 5’ European countries include England, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
Broadcasters from the five European nations are offering between US$1 million and US$10 million for this year’s Women’s World Cup.
“The offers from broadcasters, in the ‘Big 5’ European countries, are disappointing and not acceptable,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino
“It is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the Women’s World Cup”. We will stop broadcasting the Women’s World Cup into the “Big 5″ European nations if offers remain unfair,” said Infantino.
Infantino said they will sell their broadcast rights based on four criteria which are 100% reinvestment into women’s football.
The other criteria are public broadcasters promoting and investing in women’s football. The third criteria are that viewing figures of the Women’s World Cup are 50-60% of the men’s FIFA World Cup.
“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 World Cup. Whereas broadcasters pay USD 100-200 million for the men’s World Cup, they offer only USD 1-10 million for the Women’s World Cup,” he said. “Which is a slap in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players.”
Why Europeans are offering low amounts for the Women’s World Cup rights?
The World Cup which is set to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand will not show during prime time in Europe.
One of the reasons FIFA has received low offers from Europe is thought to be this. The tournament will only be broadcast in Europe around 9 or 10 a.m.
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The 2023 edition has an increased package of US$152 million. The prize money now stands at US$110 million compared to US$30 million in 2019.
Infantino told the FIFA Congress in March 2023, that the goal for women’s prize money in 2027 is to match that given to the men for the 2026 tournament.
