Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has threatened a Women's World Cup broadcast blackout in five significant European nations due to inadequate media rights proposals for the event.
At a panel discussion at the World Trade Organisation headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Infantino stated: "The offers from broadcasters, primarily in the "Big 5" European countries, are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable based on four criteria."
Infantino made reference to five European nations: the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.
To be crystal clear, we have a moral and legal duty to promote the FIFA Women's World Cup fairly. We will be obliged to stop broadcasting the FIFA Women's World Cup into the "Big 5" European nations if the offers continue to be unjust (towards women and women's football).
The 2023 Women's World Cup will take place in Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand will co-host the 2023 Women’s World Cup from July 20 until August 20.
FIFA, the world football governing body, said in a statement on Monday that Infantino encouraged broadcasters to pay a "fair" price for the media rights to the competition.
In contrast to the FIFA Women's World Cup, Infantino observed that "broadcasters pay $100 to 200 million for the men's FIFA World Cup, but they offer only $1 to 10 million for the FIFA Women's World Cup."
The present offers, in his words, are a "slap in the face to all the great FIFA Women's World Cup players and really to all women worldwide."
"First, in our effort to support measures towards equal conditions and remuneration, 100% of any rights fees received would go directly into women's football. Second, public broadcasters in particular have a responsibility to support and fund women's sports, said Infantino.
Thirdly, despite the broadcasters' offers, the FIFA Women's World Cup draws 50–60% as many viewers as the men's tournament, which is the most watched event of all time.
For the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA has already signed media rights agreements with 156 different nations. The "Big 5" European nations and FIFA are currently negotiating the tournament's media rights.
The prize pool for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will rise by 300% to $150 million, Infantino revealed in March, with "plans to dedicate a specific portion of this payment, to go to football development with another portion to go to players."
Although the prize money for the Women's World Cup is now three times what it was in 2019 and ten times what it was in 2015, before Infantino took over, it is still significantly less than the $440 million total prize money given out at the men's World Cup in Qatar last year.
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