Netflix has won the exclusive U.S. streaming rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be will be held in Brazil from June 24 to July 25. The host nation for the 2031 tournament has yet to be decided.
Announcing the move, Netflix confirmed that it’s been given the exclusive rights in all languages across the U.S., including Puerto Rico. The streamer said it will host both English and Spanish-language broadcasts as well as studio shows to introduce and complement the live matches.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said: “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.”
Netflix will also produce a string of documentaries related to the tournaments.
In a statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “This is a landmark moment for sports media rights.
“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.”
Netflix has increasingly become a player in the live sports television business. On Christmas Day, it will broadcast two NFL games with a halftime show from Beyoncé. The streamer recently hosted the controversial Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing bout. However, the boxing match broadcast was beset by technical difficulties.
Last month, radio host Howard Stern issued a warning that Netflix can’t repeat the same failures when it comes to the NFL. On November 18, Stern said on his Sirius XM show that the streaming platform needs to make sure it avoids buffering issues.
“I don’t know how this stuff works, but you gotta make sure it works,” Stern said. “You f*** up people’s football, there is hell to pay. You better not.”
Throughout the fight between retired professional boxer Tyson and YouTuber Paul, many people turned to social media to complain that they’d seen more buffering symbols on their screens than the fight itself.
“I’d love to watch this live but I’ve seen the buffering logo more than any of the fights,” one post read.
