The bid to host the World Cup in Oceania was reported as “low risk” in the internal document but noted that “Asian markets” could offset the “expected relative fall in European audiences”.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has threatened not to show the Women’s World Cup in five European countries – including Britain – in a cash row despite internal warnings about the time zone before Australia and New Zealand were selected as hosts.
Sky News has uncovered FIFA’s administration twice warned in a bid inspection report that “a relative fall in audiences could be experienced in Europe” with a tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Infantino is now saying the Women’s World Cup might not be aired in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain because broadcasters are not offering enough cash for the rights.
The bid evaluation document was prepared in 2020 for FIFA’s ruling council to assess the bids ahead of the vote on the hosts of the 2023 tournament.
The report labelled the bid “low risk” commercially but also said in previously unreported comments: “The strong TV potential in the Asian markets, combined with additional domestic media sales opportunities, helps offset an expected relative fall in European audiences.”
Games would air in the mornings in Europe.
The tournament begins in 10 weeks’ time with the Lionesses as reigning European champions vying to win the world title for the first time.
Mr Infantino said the current offers from broadcasters for the rights were “disappointing” and described them as a “slap in the face” for all great players and “all women worldwide”.
The president said it was the “moral and legal obligation” of football’s world governing body “not to undersell” the tournament.
He claimed broadcasters had offered FIFA between $1m (£800,000) and $10m (£8m) for the rights, compared with $100m (£80m) to $200m (£160m) for the men’s World Cup.
The BBC and ITV are understood to be on the higher end of the rights fees in joint offerings.
ITV would be denied the lucrative prime time slots for the Lionesses it was able to sell to advertisers last year during the men’s World Cup – while showing Gareth Southgate’s side reaching the quarter-finals in Qatar, and Lionel Messi’s final World Cup with Argentina.