One day after FIFA unexpectedly extended its new World Cup rights deal an extra four years, former rightsholders ESPN and Univision expressed displeasure.
In separate statements issued Friday, ESPN and Univision conveyed disappointment that FIFA chose to extend its rights deals with Fox Sports and Telemundo without allowing the rights to hit the open market. FIFA on Thursday announced that its new deals with FOX and Telemundo — originally set to last through 2022 — would instead run through 2026.
ESPN said it was “surprising and disappointing” to learn of the extension Thursday, in light of the “high quality presentation that ESPN demonstrated and the exposure we brought to FIFA events through all our platforms” (ESPN, 2/13). Univision more pointedly said it was “curious that FIFA would think keeping the No.1 Hispanic media company in the U.S. out of a competitive bidding process is good” for the growth of soccer in the country (L.A. Times, 2/13).
It is, of course, far from unprecedented for a sports property to extend its contract with a network before the rights hit the open market. ESPN did just that in its recent negotiation with the NBA, according to Sports Business Journal, not only locking up an extension during its exclusive negotiating window but going as far as to insist that the league not carve out a package for an unwanted competitor — Fox Sports.
On the other hand, it is unusual for a sports property to extend a television contract before a single telecast has aired.
(Fri. news from ESPN Media Zone, Los Angeles Times)
