June 14, (THEWILL) – The threat of a blackout in Europe’s top soccer nations has been averted, as FIFA extended its agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), ensuring the broadcast of the Women’s World Cup in Britain, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.
The rights for this year’s tournament were sold separately from the men’s World Cup for the first time, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously warned that a blackout could occur unless bids improved. The initial deal, announced in October 2022, already guaranteed free-to-air broadcasting across 28 European territories, and now the agreement has been extended to include the five countries along with Ukraine.
FIFA expressed its delight with the extended deal, which will ensure maximum exposure for the upcoming Women’s World Cup. In addition to broadcasting the matches, the European Broadcasting Union has committed to dedicating at least one hour of weekly content to women’s football on its own digital platform and broadcaster network.
The world football governing body sees this as a significant opportunity to promote and showcase women’s football, aligning with their long-term commitment to the sport’s development. The tournament, set to commence on July 20 in Sydney and Auckland, will be broadcast by prominent broadcasters in each country, including ITV and BBC in Britain, ARD and ZDF in Germany, France Televisions, RAI in Italy, and RTVE in Spain. The financial details of the extended agreement were not disclosed.
According to FIFA, the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France drew a staggering 1.12 billion viewers across all platforms. Earlier negotiations for this year’s tournament had seen lower bids compared to the men’s World Cup, but the agreement now ensures widespread coverage for the upcoming event.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
