FIFA President, Gianni Infantino has repeated calls on broadcasters to follow the organisation’s lead and pay a fair price for media rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, emphasising that the revenue will be entirely re-invested in women’s football.
A statement by Infantino said “The offers from broadcasters, mainly in the “Big 5” European countries, are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable based on four criteria.
“Firstly, 100% of any rights fees paid would go straight into women’s football, in our move to promote actions towards equal conditions and pay.
“Secondly, public broadcasters in particular have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sport. Thirdly, the viewing figures of the FIFA Women’s World Cup are 50-60% of the men’s FIFA 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.
“Finally, and concretely, whereas broadcasters pay USD 100-200 million for the men’s FIFA World Cup, they offer only USD 1-10 million for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
The FIFA boss called the development “a slap” in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players and all women worldwide.
He continued: “To be very clear, it is our moral and legal obligation not to undersell the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Therefore, should the offers continue not to be fair (towards women and women’s football), we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the “Big 5” European countries.
“I call, therefore, on all players (women and men), fans, football officials, Presidents, Prime Ministers, politicians and journalists all over the world to join us and support this call for a fair remuneration of women’s football. Women deserve it! As simple as that!”
Writing by Tersoo Nicholas; Editing by Tony Okerafor