Japanese football fans risk being deprived of their national side’s TV matches at the Women’s World Cup next month in the absence of a broadcast deal. In Japan, winner of the 2011 edition, the channels have not yet reached an agreement to broadcast the matches as the kick-off of the competition in Australia and New Zealand, on July 20, approaches.
For the first time, television rights for the Women’s World Cup are being sold separately from those for the men’s competition. FIFA announced on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union for the retransmission of the matches, thus avoiding a controversial blackout in the “big five” European countries. Japan therefore remains one of the last major countries not to have concluded an agreement.
The women’s national team, nicknamed “Nadeshiko” after a pink flower that symbolizes femininity in Japan, became hugely popular in their country after beating the United States on penalties to win the title in 2011. The president Japan Football Federation (JFA) Kozo Tashima said this week that he was “very worried” that fans won’t be able to see them in action next month.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has criticized broadcasters who he says have offered “100 times less” to broadcast the Women’s World Cup than the men’s tournament. Tashima said the JFA had not been involved in the negotiations, saying there was still “a big gap” between the parties.
He recalled that Japanese fans could watch the matches for free on the FIFA Plus website, but could not listen to Japanese commentary. “I’m not sure that people who weren’t interested before will watch the matches on FIFA Plus,” he said. “It is important that the matches are broadcast on television.”
