A courtroom sketch showing Alejandro Burzaco, left. He testified Friday that a former FIFA official, Julio Grondona, shown on a board at right, helped tip Fox officials on how much to bid for the broadcast rights to the World Cup.
“When the news broke a dozen years ago that Fox had been awarded the U.S. broadcast rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, many in television, and in soccer, were surprised. For decades, the sport’s showcase championship was the exclusive domain of ESPN, which had been instrumental in driving interest in the world’s most popular game in the world’s richest sports market. But according to a government witness testifying this week in federal court in Brooklyn, Fox didn’t acquire those tournaments on merit alone. …”
NY Times