SWITZERLAND: Infantino referred to the players’ and “all women worldwide” receiving “disappointing” offers from the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France as a “slap in the face”.
FIFA has a “moral and legal obligation” not to undersell the event, and Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting the World Cup. European broadcasters offered FIFA $1 million to $10 million for the rights, compared to $100 million to $200 million for the men’s World Cup.
Infantino stated that if the offers are unjust, he will not broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the “big five” European countries. He appealed to all players, supporters, football authorities, presidents, prime ministers, legislators, and journalists to join him and support this plea for just compensation for women’s football. It is clear that women deserve it.
The men’s World Cup and other events were mentioned in rights proposals for prior competitions, but FIFA has since divided the bidding process. The Women’s World Cup and European Championship have both been added to the list of British athletic events that must have free-to-air coverage.
Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, was not aware of Infantino’s remarks, but he expressed his desire to see the event televised following the success of the Lionesses.
FIFA tripled the prize money from the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France to $152 million and reaffirmed its goal of equal pay for the men’s and women’s World Cups by 2026 and 2027. The average viewing duration per person was 4.14 hours, more than twice the average for the rest of the world. Nearly half of all viewing hours came from Europe.
The 2023 World Cup was successful due to the favourable time zone, and seven quarterfinalists were from Europe. England’s three group games are scheduled to begin between 09:30 and 12:00 BST, while the kickoff times for the 2023 World Cup are less favourable, ranging from 01:00 to 12:00 BST. Infantino noted that it is not shown during prime time in Europe but is still shown at 9 am or 10 am.
The average UK viewer spent more time watching women’s sports in 2022 than in 2021, according to research by the Women’s Sport Trust (WST). This is the first women’s tournament for which FIFA has sold broadcast rights unbundled from the men. British broadcasters have strongly advocated women’s sports, but having more honest discussions about value in the future will be important.
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