Dhe FIFA fears a “blackout”. By that is meant that the Women’s World Cup, which begins on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand, will be without European television audiences.
Who is to blame? The broadcasters, of course, says FIFA, as reported by the sports information service (SID). “We must stay true to our principles and ensure that the generations of women footballers to come have the same opportunities as their male counterparts,” said Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer.
“Acknowledge your true worth”
This can only be achieved if the “commercial value” is recognized. The negotiations for the broadcasting rights are difficult because “there were no offers that recognize the true value of the largest women’s football tournament in the world”. The income is “all the more important” because it should be “reinvested in the development of women’s football”.
That’s the message spread by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino. He announced the principle of “equal pay” for women’s and men’s football and was indignant that the broadcasters wanted to spend “100 times” less on women’s football than on national football for men.
“Equal Pay” means: FIFA wants more money
You can hear FIFA’s lawsuit, but – it sounds just as hollow as the crazy world redeemer suada that Infantino launched at the World Cup in Qatar. “Equal pay” means that FIFA wants to squeeze the same high sums for the broadcasting rights of the women’s World Cup from the mostly public broadcasters as they are paid for the men’s World Cup. The sale of the World Cup broadcasting rights in Qatar raised FIFA 2.7 billion euros. ARD and ZDF alone paid 214 million euros for the dubious event (the rights to the 2019 Women’s World Cup were included in the package), however, the World Cup in the terrorist state of Russia even cost 218 million euros in 2018 – paid for by broadcasting fees.
Posing as a promoter of women: FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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Image: dpa
That’s a lot of money with which FIFA, if they really wanted it, could generously support women’s football. Especially since the world football association has made a profit of almost one billion euros in the past four years. As revealed by FIFA’s financial report, the federation generated revenue of US$7.568 billion (€7.079 billion) between 2019-2022. Operating profit rose to $1.2 billion from 2019 to 2022. FIFA has almost four billion dollars on the high edge. Their boss Infantino bagged $3.6 million for himself last year, his “bonus” for the Qatar World Cup was $1.6 million. The FIFA “swim in the money”, it was therefore said at this point. But she wants to go much further, by 2026 sales should increase to eleven billion dollars. This is only possible if the TV broadcasting rights become even more expensive.
The broadcasters are keeping a low profile in this context, in which FIFA is approaching with a women’s rights narrative. According to the ARD, one does not want to comment on ongoing negotiations, combined with a request for understanding. ZDF reports that the broadcaster “continues to be able to accompany the great development of women’s football at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. ZDF’s offers for the acquisition of sports rights are based, among other things, on the market price for the respective sports rights. Under certain circumstances, the market value can deviate significantly from the price expectations of rights marketers.”
That’s a hint with the fence post, after all. It’s all about market value, and that’s measured not only by the odds that women’s football has recorded, but also by kick-off times, which are unfavorable for European spectators at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – in the morning. In addition, FIFA put the broadcasters (and itself) under additional pressure by starting the negotiations late. Poker started in January, and broadcast rights are usually signed years in advance.
So what FIFA wants is money, more money, more money (all of our money) and more power. Gianni Infantino is as little a supporter of women as he is a friend of democracy and human rights. The TV rights will cost us dearly enough.