Discovery+ investigates Qatar 2022 with The Men Who Sold the World Cup

US-based global factual streamer Discovery+ has commissioned a two-part documentary from directors Daniel DiMauro and Morgan Pehme on the allegations of bribery and corruption around the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Sepp Blatter (photo: kremlin.ru via CC)

The Men Who Sold the World Cup is from Story Films in the UK and New York-based Calliope Pictures.

The 2×60’ doc focuses on the allegations of corruption and bribery that surrounded the awarding of football’s biggest tournament to Qatar, a desert nation with baking summer temperatures, zero world-class stadiums, a population mostly indifferent to the sport, and lots of money.

Contributors include a whistleblower from the Qatari bid team, ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s former press chief, football figures including Jurgen Klinsmann and Landon Donovan, and Blatter himself.

The first episode features Sunday Times investigators Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert and follows their investigation that revealed rampant corruption at the heart of FIFA. The second episode features FBI and IRS investigators whose job it was to expose criminal behaviour at the heart of the organisation.

The show was ordered by Discovery’s Myriam Lopez-Otazu, group VP of content and acquisitions for EMEA and APAC; Simon Downing, senior VP of marketing and head of factual and sport; and Victoria Noble, VP of original factual content.

The exec producers for Story Films are David Nath and Peter Beard, with Jeremy Phillips exec producing for Discovery. The doc will premiere on Discovery+ in October.

In related news, Discovery+ will launch a scripted horror series October 2. Focusing on haunted artefacts, The Haunted Museum will be available as part of Discovery+’s Ghostober event, with the first two episodes launching at the same time.

The anthology of short films has been created by filmmaker Eli Roth (Hostel) and Zak Bagans, who hosts Discovery+ paranormal series Ghost Adventures. Each episode of the nine-part series is based on Bagans’ own collection of relics on display in his museum in Las Vegas.

Toronto’s Cream Productions has made the series, with Matt Booi, Kate Harrison Karman and David Brady as exec producing alongside Roth and Bagans. Christine Shuler exec produces for Discovery+.