Japanese fans facing Women’s World Cup TV blackout
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The Japanese women's football team posing for a photo before the quarter-final match against Sweden at the Tokyo Olympics.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO – Japanese football fans are facing a TV blackout for July’s Women’s World Cup, with some warning that a failure to strike a broadcasting deal would be a “missed opportunity”.
The country won the tournament in 2011 and reached the final again four years later. But its broadcasters have yet to reach an agreement to televise games before the competition kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20.
TV rights for the Women’s World Cup are being sold independently of the men’s competition for the first time.
Fifa on Wednesday announced that it had struck a deal with the European Broadcasting Union
That leaves Japan as one of the last major countries to reach an agreement, and fans are worried that it will damage the standing of women’s football at home.
Mariko Takata, 41, plans to travel to New Zealand to watch Japan’s opener against Zambia on July 22 before returning home. But she has no idea where she will watch the rest of the team’s games.
“Women’s football isn’t usually as popular as men’s football and there is a chance it will be a really big deal if they go far in the tournament,” she said on Friday.
“It’s also a good chance for people to support the team and create some memories even if they don’t win, so it would be a missed opportunity for women’s football.”
The national women’s team – nicknamed “Nadeshiko” after a pink flower that symbolises femininity in Japan – became hugely popular at home after they beat the United States on penalties to win the 2011 title.
The players became overnight stars and the team went on to reach the final of the 2012 Olympics and 2015 World Cup.
Japan Football Association (JFA) chief Kozo Tashima said last week he was “very worried” that fans would not be able to watch them in action in July.
“I hope this can be resolved before the tournament so that people all over the country can support the team,” he said.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been critical of broadcasters, whom he said offered “100 times less” to screen the Women’s World Cup compared to the men’s tournament.
Tashima added that the JFA had not been involved in negotiations but he understood there was still a “big gap” between relevant parties.
He also said fans in Japan would be able to watch games for free on the Fifa Plus website, but would not be able to listen to Japanese commentary.
“I’m not sure if people who didn’t previously have any interest would watch it on Fifa Plus,” he said. “It’s important that games are shown on TV.” AFP
