Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, has threatened a television blackout of the 2018 Women’s World Cup in important European nations if broadcasters don’t raise their bids for the rights.
In October, Infantino chastised the broadcasters for providing “100 times less” coverage of the Women’s World Cup than the Men’s World Cup.
Less than three months before the event in Australia and New Zealand begins, he launched another attack on Monday, demanding a “fair price” for media rights.
FIFA said in a statement that it had not yet sold the tournament’s rights to some significant markets.
“The offers from broadcasters, mainly in the ‘Big Five’ European countries, are still very disappointing,” he said at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, stressing that the revenue will go back into women’s football to help grow the game.
In contrast to the $100–200 million they spend on the men’s World Cup, Infantino charged that broadcasters only offered between $1 million and $10 million to air the Women’s World Cup.
The five nations are believed to be Spain, Italy, Italy, France, and Britain.
