Ukraine to sell off its broadcasting rights of 2018 World Cup in Russia
Ukraine’s draft budget for 2018, prepared by the Cabinet of Ministers provides for the sale of the right of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) to broadcast matches of the World Cup that will be held in Russia.
According to the document, the government expects to earn UAH 200 million for the license, which is little more than $7.6 million at the current exchange rate.
"This is to determine that in 2018 the funds in the amount of UAH 200 million from the sale of license rights for the coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be credited to the accounts of the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine for supporting its own activities," the draft bill says.
Earlier, head of the board of UA:PBC Zurab Alasania made public statements that the broadcaster was not going to broadcast the 2018 World Cup matches because Ukraine "will not accept a coverage from Moscow crammed with propaganda".
Alasania then said that the rights to broadcast matches of the 2018 World Cup were bought by UA:PBC for about $6 million and that the company would incur a significant loss if it refused to broadcast. "But there are things much more valuable than money," Alasania explained.
In accordance with the draft budget, in 2018, as part of the Financial Support program for UA:PBC, Ukrainian plan to allocate approximately 776.5 million UAH ($29.7 million) from the budget.
Currently, the national soccer team of Ukraine holds fourth place in its qualifying group, yielding to Croatia, Iceland and Turkey. The team will play its last match on October 9 in Kyiv against the Croatian national team and, if it wins, will get a chance to reach the final. However, to do that it must beat the Kosovo team.
To date, entry to the 2018 World Cup has been won by teams of Brazil, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Belgium, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 14 to July 15, 2018 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Saransk, Samara, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod and Volgograd.