Esther Gonzalez of Spain accepts the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy after the team's victory in the final match of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia vs New Zealand 2023 between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023.
Alex Bantling – FIFA | FIFA | Getty Images
Netflix Friday Announce It has acquired exclusive rights in the United States to the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031.
This announcement comes just days before Netflix does so flow The first Christmas Day games of the National Football League. The addition of the Women's World Cup to its portfolio shows that the streaming giant continues to grow its sports rights portfolio. It also comes with the popularity of women's sports rose During the past year.
“I've seen the FIFA Women's World Cup fanbase grow tremendously — from the electric atmosphere in France in 2019, and more recently, the incredible energy across Australia and New Zealand in 2023,” said Bela Bajaria, chief content officer at Netflix, in a statement. press release. “Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix is not just about streaming the matches, it is also about celebrating the players, culture and passion that is driving the global rise of women’s sports.”
The 2027 tournament is scheduled to be held in 12 cities across Brazil. The host country for the 2031 tournament has not yet been announced.
Netflix said its Women's World Cup coverage will include commentary and entertainment from studio shows and top-tier talent, as well as Netflix original documentaries about key players and the sport's fast-growing fan base in the lead-up to the tournament.
The Women's World Cup has It continued to grow in popularityand More people in the United States It is set for the women's final in 2019 compared to the men's final in 2018. Viewership in the United States It decreased significantly But in 2023, after the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the round of 16.
Due to the significant growth in audiences for the WNBA and the US Women's National Soccer Team, soccer remains one of the most popular sports globally.
Netflix has 282.7 million global memberships, and the company is seeking to grow internationally in part through its cheaper, ad-supported tier.
Sports media rights have also risen significantly in the valuation of media companies, with live sports attracting the largest audiences.
Netflix has continued its growth in the sports category, airing a fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul last month, which was watched by 108 million people, making it The most broadcast sporting event of all timeaccording to Netflix.
On Christmas Day, the streamer was set up to cover an NFL doubleheader featuring the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans.
