FIFA Threatens TV Blackout for Women’s World Cup in Europe

FIFA, world football’s governing body, is threatening not to televise the Women’s World Cup in five major European countries unless broadcasters pay more for the media rights.

The offers from broadcasters in the “Big 5” European nations — Italy, Germany, France, the UK and Spain — “are still very disappointing and simply not acceptable,” President Gianni Infantino said in a statement on FIFA’s website. “Should the offers continue not to be fair, we will be forced not to broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup into the ‘Big 5’ European countries.”