FIFA president Gianni Infantino has stressed the need for broadcasters to pay “a fair price” for the commercial rights to women’s football during his speech at the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union.
“The real message is to help us to promote women’s football in particular. It’s not just about the prize money but about the investment in the women’s game,” Infantino said.
“With the intervention of the EBU and many of you, we have a great opportunity to promote it in the period between women’s World Cups and European Championships.”
The FIFA president suggested broadcasters to show at least one hour of women’s football content per week, to provide a bigger stage for the players.
“Let’s do this all together because we have great athletes and personalities (to show),” he said. “We are here to work with you in unity to find solutions, to find impactful ways of promoting women’s football.”
For this year’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, FIFA and EBU only reached an agreement on broadcasting rights for the tournament around a month before kick-off and after tough negotiations over several months.
FIFA had been asking for more money than networks were willing to offer in an attempt to raise more revenue for the women’s game, which has gained in popularity in recent years.
SOURCE: Australian Associated Press
