FIFA nearing '£8m broadcasting deal with BBC & ITV for Women's World Cup'

The BBC and ITV are nearing a deal with FIFA to broadcast the Women's World Cup, according to reports.

The British broadcasting giants are thought to be close to a £7.2-8million ($9-10m) agreement for the rights to show the upcoming competition, taking place in Australia and New Zealand which is set to start on July 20.

There had been a threat of a broadcasting blackout in Europe's Big Five nations - England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France - following bids of £800,000-£8m ($1m-$10m), which Gianni Infantino insisted were unfair.

The reported sum would amount to around five to six per cent of the amount paid for the right's to the recent Men's World Cup in Qatar.

The BBC and ITV reportedly paid a fee closer to £159.1m for the rights to the 2022 edition of the quadrennial international tournament.

No deal has been signed, but those close to the discussions claim that the proposal could allow for agreements with other broadcasters, which could prevent a potential blackout of coverage, as was previously threatened, according to Bloomberg

FIFA president Infantino had described previous bids from European nations as insulting, given the mammoth sums forked out for the men's tournament.

And while the British broadcasters' bid only comes in at a fraction of the fee for Qatar 2022, it is still higher than equivalents from the continent.

As per Bloomberg, there have been bids totalling as little as one or two per cent of that which was paid to show the men's competition.

Viewing figures for the competition have grown in recent iterations, with the final in France in 2019 watched by over 260m, with overall tournament figures at around 1.1billion, as per FIFA.

Since that competition, Europe is thought to have accounted for £843.4m ($1.06bn) in broadcasting rights.

Ticket sales for the 2023 Women's World Cup have exceeded one million, eclipsing the historic mark set in France four years ago.

The forthcoming tournament, hosted in Australia and New Zealand, is set to get underway on July 20 with an expanded format of 32 teams.

Infantino, announced the landmark achievement that he believes signifies a growing interest in women's football.

'Delighted to share with the world that FIFA has passed one million tickets sold for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup,' he wrote in a message posted on Instagram.

'As I write this, 1,032,884 tickets have been sold. This means that with over one month to go before kick-off, we have surpassed the numbers sold for France 2019, thus meaning that Australia & New Zealand 2023 is on track to become the most attended FIFA Women's World Cup in history.

'The momentum is building in the host countries and across the globe, and I look forward to seeing you there to witness the stars of women's football shine on the world stage.'