A look into the scope of FIFA corruption.
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00:00 Former TV executives were charged with bribery
00:03 in trying to get the World Cup rights
00:05 for 2018 and 2022 when it comes to broadcast.
00:09 For more on that, I'm joined by SI legal analyst,
00:11 Michael McCann.
00:12 Michael, it seems like scandal
00:14 has been following FIFA recently.
00:17 It really has.
00:18 It's interesting, Robin.
00:19 This case began in 2015 and hasn't stopped since.
00:23 And it's only grown because persons
00:26 who were originally charged,
00:28 some of them have cut deals,
00:29 and no doubt shared evidence,
00:31 emails, texts, bank records, what have you.
00:34 And that has expanded the scope
00:37 of the Justice Department's case.
00:39 And now, as you mentioned, it includes TV executives.
00:42 Who knows where this will ultimately land,
00:45 but it's growing, not contracting.
00:48 What happens next here, Michael?
00:50 Obviously, when sports resume, so will the World Cup.
00:52 And this is a high-value property.
00:55 Yeah, I think what will happen initially
00:59 will be the defendants will plead not guilty.
01:02 There's an arraignment coming on Thursday.
01:04 But the larger story is what you're alluding to.
01:07 How does this affect the upcoming World Cup?
01:11 Probably nothing will change,
01:13 but it certainly gives ground to networks
01:18 that didn't win out on the broadcasting rights,
01:21 and maybe countries that didn't win out,
01:23 if they may have potential legal claims.
01:26 But it also suggests that the scope
01:29 of FIFA corruption is massive,
01:32 that this has been going on for so long,
01:35 and that there have been so many people involved.
01:38 The cast of characters is longer than most plays,
01:41 and it doesn't seem as if there's an end point to this.
01:45 Michael, appreciate your time and insight, as always,
01:49 and couldn't agree more.
01:50 It seems like corruption has followed the world's game.
01:54 Thanks, Robin.
01:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]