Inquiry: FIFA Gave World Cup Rights to Fox in Order to Dodge Lawsuit
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Whether through rank incompetence or sheer corruption, when FIFA awarded Qatar the rights to host the 2022 World Cup it effectively cost itself millions in future TV fees and all but guaranteed that Fox and Telemundo would both make a tidy profit on the 2026 tournament.
In a document released today, international soccer’s governing body effectively owned up to the fact that it all but gave away the rights to the 2026 World Cup to avoid getting dragged into court by Fox.
An inquiry into the bidding for the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, FIFA’s 353-page doorstop offers some insight into the events of February 2015, when it extended its U.S. TV deals with Fox and Telemundo in a closed auction. At the time, it was suspected that FIFA had granted the extensions at a bargain rate in order to mollify Fox, which was furious that the choice of Qatar as the host nation would necessitate shifting the 2022 World Cup from the summer to the fall.
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