The Lionesses lift the trophy after winning England’s first Women’s European Championship over Germany on Sunday. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)
FIFA reached a deal to broadcast the 2023 World Cup in England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ukraine, ending a stalemate with major European broadcasters over media rights fees.
The world soccer governing body announced the deal Wednesday, five weeks before the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had threatened TV blackouts in European markets if no deal was reached.
The European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public media organizations, and FIFA agreed to extend their existing media rights partnership to include the “Big 5” European markets, all of which have teams in the World Cup. The expanded deal ensures “maximum exposure for the tournament,” Infantino said in a news release.
Infantino had criticized European broadcasters for not offering a “fair” price for the tournament in early May, calling it…
