Netflix has secured its first major deal in the soccer market after signing an exclusive broadcast rights agreement to show the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup live to audiences in the United States and Puerto Rico.
The deal, which Fifa has described as a “landmark media rights deal in women’s football”, means the streaming platform acquire the rights to cover a football competition in full for the first time, and will include coverage in multiple languages. The 2027 tournament is being staged in Brazil from June 24th to July 25th, 2027 and will involve 32 teams. The host of the 2031 competition is yet to be determined.
“This is a landmark moment for sports media rights,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino. “As a marquee brand and Fifa’s new long-term partner, Netflix has shown a very strong level of commitment to growing women’s football. This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game.”
The chief content officer at Netflix, Bela Bajaria, added: “I’ve seen the fandom for the Fifa Women’s World Cup grow tremendously – from the electric atmosphere in France in 2019 to, most recently, the incredible energy we saw across Australia and New Zealand last year. Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches, it’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport.”
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The US broadcasting giant Fox and the Spanish-language terrestrial channel Telemundo had the rights to broadcast the 2023 tournament in the US and Puerto Rico.
As of November 2024, Netflix was reported to have 66.7 million subscribers in the US. – Guardian
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