Media Play News
Bringing Entertainment Home
Erik Gruenwedel
December 20, 2024
Netflix upped its live sports portfolio in dramatic fashion, securing exclusive U.S. rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer tournament in 2027 and 2031.
The quadrennial FIFA Women’s World Cup, which next takes place in Brazil, June 24-July 25, 2027, will feature the top-ranked 32 national teams, led by Team USA, Spain and Germany. The host of 2031 event has not been announced.
With Team USA currently ranked No. 1 in the world, the women’s sport already has a built-in domestic fan base, underscored by the silver medal won at the this year’s Paris Olympics.
The landmark deal for women’s soccer marks Netflix’s first foray into live international sports, arguably streaming the single biggest women’s sporting event in the world. The rights, which includes Puerto Rico, feature access to every live match and studio shows for both the English and Spanish-language broadcasts in the United States.
“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,” Gianni Infantino, president of soccer’s governing body, said in a statement.
Infantino contends that combining the quadrennial event with the largest subscription streaming service in the world sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game.
“[This] makes a truly historic day for broadcasting and for women’s football,” he said.
Indeed, in the most-recent women’s world cup, more than 5 million people on average watched the Fox Sports live telecasts despite airing when most of the country was asleep.
In addition to live coverage, Netflix will produce an exclusive documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments, spotlighting the world’s top players, their journeys and the global growth of women’s soccer.
“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,” said Bela Bajaria, chief content officer at Netflix.
Netflix’s soccer content portfolio has grown in recent years to include docuseries “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team,” “Captains of the World” (in partnership with FIFA), “Neymar: The Perfect Chaos,” “Beckham,” “Sunderland ’Til I Die,” “Boca Juniors Confidential,” and the upcoming series on Vinícius Júnior and José Mourinho.
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