Press Review - May 2023

  Less than two months before the start of the FIFAWWC, the British (Lucy Frazer), French (Amélie Oudea-Castera), German (Nancy Faeser), Italian (Andrea Abodi), and Spanish (Miguel Llorens) sports ministers have signed a common statement, on June the 1st, expressing their acknowledgement “with concern that until now, no television rights have been attributed for the matches broadcasting in our countries.”

  “We are aware of the legitimate interests and budgetary constraints pressuring both assignees and independent broadcasters, who need a viable economic model for each of them. We also recognize the specific organizational constraints that are likely to affect the “market value” of the European broadcasters’ rights (period and hours of broadcasting)”, the statement says.

  “However, we are convinced that the media coverage of the Women’s World Cup will be decisive in improving the global visibility of women’s sports in our European countries. Media exposure to women’s sports has indeed a highly significant impact on the development of women’s and young girls’ sports practices”, the five ministers add.

  According to insideworldfootball.com, in France, broadcast rights for the Women's World Cup are reportedly less than 5% of the €130 million paid for last year's Men's World Cup in Qatar. In Germany, broadcasters bid €3 million to show the competition, less than 3% of what was paid to cover the last two men's World Cups. In Italy, the proposal for the Women's World Cup is €1 million, less than 1% of the €160 million paid for the Men's World Cup.

  Under this contract, Google will use digital activations, especially on ​​social media, to promote women’s football in Germany. The rights incorporate also backdrops and LED boards. Players of the women’s national team will be part of a national “Google Pixel” communications campaign with behind-the-scenes stories and videos being shared across multiple platforms. 

  “Google not only brings an extraordinarily strong brand and innovative technologies, but also shares our vision of supporting women in football in Germany. Together we are committed to increasing the visibility and popularity of women’s football, which also makes a valuable contribution to our internal strategy FF27”, Dr. Holger Blask, Managing Director Marketing, Sales & Events at DFB GmbH & Co. KG, says.

   “I’ve been a football fan since I was a child. That’s why I’ve followed with excitement how women’s football has developed in recent years. The passion of the Germans for football has contributed a lot to this. We are very pleased to enter into a three-year partnership with the German Football Association. We will work together with the DFB to further promote women’s football in Germany”, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet & Google, adds.

  Sky will give the opportunity to Zac, a young kart driver, as well as Braydon and Scarlett -presenters of Sky News’ FYI news program for children– to cover the Hungarian Grand Prix that will be held on July the 23rd, in Budapest.

  They will join the main presenters Natalie Pinkham, the 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, and ex-NASCAR/IndyCar racer Danica Patrick to present, commentate on the action, and interview drivers. « Formula 1 is to provide a dedicated international feed for the event, with the inclusion of bespoke graphics and sound effects designed to enhance the viewing experience for younger audiences in the United Kingdom and Germany », the broadcaster specifies.

  "We want to ensure that our fans of all ages can enjoy and fall in love with Formula 1, so working with our long-standing partners at Sky on this project to target younger audiences is really exciting. […] This is a first of its kind in motorsport and I am excited to see the broadcast come to life and to watch the next generation of presenting talent", Ian Holmes, F1's director of media rights and content creation, explains.

  The partnership will run until the end of the 2024/25 season, with the purpose of creating “an innovative platform that will push the boundaries of the digital fan experience.” Rarecubes will have a sponsorship package focused digital activations through the club’s online media.

  The club’s statement adds that “the aim of this virtual universe, accessible to all and authentified by blockchain technology, is to enable AS Monaco supporters to have access to new opportunities for engagement and interaction with the club, to enjoy new experiences and to obtain new types of digital items.”

  “We are delighted to partner with AS Monaco to create an innovative platform that will push the boundaries of the digital fan experience”, Simon Rames, Executive Director at Rarecubes, underlines.

  “We are closely following the world of Web3 and blockchain, which is constantly evolving at a very fast pace. Rarecubes is a reference in this field and shares, like us, the ambition to be at the forefront of innovation and new technologies. It therefore makes sense to move forward together on this path and we look forward to this collaboration”, Thibaut Chatelard, chief marketing and revenue officer at AS Monaco, adds.

  The new agreement was signed with FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva last May. This memorandum is effective from October the 4th, 2019.

  “WHO’s partnership with FIFA has already succeeded to share evidence-based messages to help people of all ages to lead healthier and safer lives through the power of sport. WHO looks forward to continuing this journey”, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO general director, says.

  The two organizations have collaborated on a variety of digital campaigns addressing a wide range of issues as mental health (#ReachOut) and domestic violence (#SafeHome), and empowering healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis (#HumanitysHeroes), as well as promoting regular physical activity through #BeActive campaign.

  “Dr Tedros and I felt that in a world that is more and more divided, maybe if FIFA and the WHO join forces, we can achieve something, we can have even just a little impact to make our lives a little bit better. Since 2019, we have worked together with our colleagues at the World Health Organization to try to use the impact of football, that helps drive health for one and all”, Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, concludes.