FIFA announced this Friday that it has defined a Netflix transmission agreement for the United States for the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup. The agreement is the most significant that the entity has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not disclosed. World Cups are normally broadcast on public free-to-air networks to reach the largest audience.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino publicly criticized public broadcasters, especially in Europe, for underestimating broadcast offers for the 2023 tournament that was played jointly in Australia and New Zealand. The tournament was shown on Fox in the USA.
“This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and global women’s football,” Infantino said Friday in a statement. The entity will likely use the agreement with Netflix to conduct conversations with European broadcasters, which will be tougher negotiations.
The 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027 will be played in Brazil from June 24 to July 25. The 2031 host has not yet been decided, although the US is expected to make a bid. Spain won the 2023 tournament after the USA won the previous two titles.
Netflix dove into live sports last month, with more than 60 million households watching a much-hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul.
