FIFA and Netflix have agreed a ‘historic’ broadcast rights deal that will see the streaming platform gain exclusive rights to broadcast the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the US. 

The two competitions will be the first sports competition to be acquired in full by Netflix, representing the steaming giants’ shift from producing sports adjacent docuseries to broadcasting live sports. 

The deal will provide US-based fans with access to every match live and coverage, including studio shows. The agreement includes Puerto Rico and covers all languages, with football talent poised to feature in a dual telecast for both English and Spanish-language broadcasts in the US. 

“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. FIFA and Netflix partnering together makes this a truly historic day for broadcasting and for women’s football.”

Following FIFA’s decision to partner exclusively with Netflix, the 2027 and 2031 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup are set to significantly expand its audiences with Netflix’s estimated 67 million users. 

The FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 will take place in Brazil from 24 June – 25 July 2027, and the 2031 edition of the competition will be decided by the FIFA Congress in due course.

The acquisition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup rights represents another new milestone in Netflix’s live sports content strategy. The platform has been ramping up its effort in this respect, becoming the home of WWE’s weekly programme RAW – set to begin in January in a 10-year deal – as well as picking up live rights for two NFL games on Christmas Day. 

Despite being the biggest streaming platform in the world, with more than 282 million subscribers globally, Netflix’s live streaming capabilities encountered buffering issues at its first attempt during the boxing exhibition between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. 

With Netflix bringing onboard more live sports to its platform, it will look to prioritise streamlining its live feeds soon, as the two Christmas Day NFL games are right around the corner. 

Speaking on the Women’s World Cup rights acquisition, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said: “Besides broadcasting the tournaments themselves, Netflix will play a key role in terms of bringing the fascination of women’s football to a multimillion audience in the lead-up to both final tournaments, thereby enabling us to further increase their appeal.

“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 Aotearoa 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.”

Source: Insider Sports
--Agencies