Irish television viewers could miss next week’s World Cup play-off at the Stade de France as a deal to broadcast the match in this country has yet to be brokered.
RTÉ and Sky Sports are engaged in negotiations with the French Football Federation (FFF) but no agreement has been reached just five days before the crucial match.
Both broadcasters are believed to be unwilling to meet the FFF’s asking price, understood to be in the region of €1.5 million.
RTÉ is believed to have bid less than half of that amount, approximately €600,000, for the rights.
A report on the broadcasters website claimed it had made a “competitive” offer to the French which was “ahead of any other rival broadcaster in the marketplace”.
It appears the FAI’s decision to sell rights to tomorrow’s first leg to the independent company M6, as opposed to national broadcaster TF1, has not helped matters.
The FAI are believed to have made €5 million in that deal.
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