FIFA has told prospective broadcasters of the 2023 Women’s World Cup that their bids have not yet been acceptable.
A report in Bloomberg said that FIFA has turned down offers from Italy, Germany, France and the UK to broadcast next summer’s tournament, and expects to do the same with an offer from Spain.
FIFA’s Chief Business Officer Romy Gai has challenged broadcasters to step up their bids, hinting at a frustration over perceived lowball offers.
“This is not a case of being priced out, but rather testament to a lack of willingness of broadcasters to pay what the women’s game deserves,” Gai told Bloomberg.
“Audience figures show that the Women’s World Cup 2019 in France was a catalyst for change in terms of TV audience.
“We know the opportunity for women’s football is there. Now, together, we need to capture it.”
According to a report from FIFA, more than 1 billion people tuned in for the 2019 Women’s World Cup either at home, on digital platforms or outside of the home — a record for the tournament.
This summer there were a host of viewership records set around Euro 2022. The final between England and Germany drew in 17.4 million UK viewers, making it the most watched program of any kind in the UK in 2022.
In the United States Fox already has the rights for the 2023 World Cup, though the kickoff times won’t be conducive to large viewership. A 7 p.m. kickoff in Sydney would translate to 4 a.m. ET.
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