FIFA agreed to a major European broadcasting rights deal with five key countries to show the Women’s World Cup, resolving a standoff with just over a month to go until the soccer competition kicks off.
The European Broadcasting Union and FIFA extended their media rights partnership to broadcast the event on EBU’s free-to-air TV network across 34 European territories, including Britain, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, according to a FIFA statement Wednesday.
It’s a major breakthrough and ends the threat of a blackout for TV viewers in Europe when the competition starts in Australia and New Zealand next month. Governments in major countries across Europe have been putting pressure on FIFA and broadcasters to resolve the dispute.
“As part of this agreement, the EBU has committed to working towards broadcasting at least one hour of weekly content dedicated to women’s football on its own digital platform and broadcaster network,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in the statement. “This will provide a huge promotional and exposure opportunity for women’s football, which is a top priority for us in line with FIFA’s commitment to the long-term development of the sport.”
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The tournament will be broadcast by ARD and ZDF in Germany, ITV and BBC in Britain, France Televisions, RAI in Italy and RTVE in Spain.
