Fifa contests free-to-air World Cup TV broadcasts in UK

[W4FC B3N]

Fifa contests free-to-air World Cup TV broadcasts in UK

World Cup finals games featuring England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will remain free to watch


Football bodies Fifa and Uefa have appealed against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be on free-to-air TV in the UK.
In February, the European General Court said the UK could keep the events on a list of "protected" events of national sporting interest shown for free.
It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms.
Fifa and Uefa say they cannot sell the events fairly, and the cases will now go to the European Court of Justice.
Football's world governing body has been in the news this week with allegations from former FA chairman Lord Triesman that four Fifa members sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

UK fans may have to pay to watch stars like Argentina's Lionel Messi playing at the World Cup


Full story; BBC News - Fifa contests free-to-air World Cup TV broadcasts in UK

 

[Calum]

Typical Fifa

IT will and should always be on BBC1/ITV not Sky or ESPN :S

 

[Mads2506]

I think FIFA should just stay out of this, they have done enough damage already.

 

[dmlambert]

I agree with Calum, it should always be on one of the free to air channels, can they not let all the free to air channels bid for the games? Or am I missing something obvious?

 

[W4FC B3N]

Reading through it.. The last World Cup made £2bn in TV rights so why would they want to make any more money than that?

 

[Athe~]

Well, we watch them matches on free TV so it's gotta be 'payback' for Triesman's accusations. It's either that or we're getting ****** in 2014.

 

[Redrup]

Oh for **** sake, is there anything left for FIFA to try to **** off the general public even more?

 

[Jack Fulham]

Were still effectively paying it through a TV license. Hardly free.

 

[fuelledbypassion]

Fifa contests free-to-air World Cup TV broadcasts in UK

Football bodies Fifa and Uefa have appealed against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be on free-to-air TV in the UK.
In February, the European General Court said the UK could keep the events on a list of "protected" events of national sporting interest shown for free.
It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms.
Fifa and Uefa say they cannot sell the events fairly, and the cases will now go to the European Court of Justice.
Football's world governing body has been in the news this week with allegations from former FA chairman Lord Triesman that four Fifa members sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

How exactly? It's not fair on the money grabbing, sport whoring Rupert Murdoch? Not fair on the greedy, bribe snatching Fifa scumbags? I thought Fifa were all about expanding the footballing empire and sharing the sport with the world...