Netflix has secured the United States broadcasting rights for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031, marking a significant expansion of its live sports offerings.
The announcement on Friday highlights the streaming giant’s growing presence in live events, with this deal being the most substantial FIFA has made with a streaming platform for a major tournament.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, international women’s soccer competitions have historically struggled to attract high-value broadcasting deals.
Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, emphasized that this partnership goes beyond just airing matches, “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.”
This deal follows Netflix’s entry into live sports, which began in November when over 60 million households tuned in to a highly anticipated boxing match between retired heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and social media influencer Jake Paul.
Despite some reports of streaming issues, Netflix continues to expand its sports coverage, including airing two NFL games on Christmas Day as part of a three-year deal, which was announced in May.
While World Cup broadcasts are typically handled by free-to-air networks to maximize audience reach, the 2023 Women’s World Cup earned FIFA less than 10% of the revenue from the men’s 2022 World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had criticized public broadcasters, especially in Europe, for undervaluing the rights to the 2023 tournament, which was hosted in Australia and New Zealand and aired in the U.S. by Fox.
“This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game,” Infantino remarked.
This partnership also signals Netflix’s growing role in live programming, a key strategy as it aims to increase its advertising revenue.
Since launching its ad-supported service two years ago, Netflix has seen rapid growth in this segment, with the ad-supported version becoming its fastest-growing offering.
However, the company still anticipates that it will take another two or three years before ad sales contribute significantly to its overall revenue.
For 2024, Netflix plans to allocate around $17 billion to content creation, a portion of which will be directed toward sports and live events, positioning it as a strong competitor to traditional media outlets bidding for similar rights.
Kieran Maguire, a soccer finance expert at the University of Liverpool, called the deal “a bit of a gamble” for FIFA, suggesting it could also serve as a strategic move to assert its leverage in negotiations with European broadcasters.
He noted, “FIFA can say, ‘we are now partnering with a blue-chip organization, so watch out you nasty Europeans.’”
As part of its efforts to increase broadcasting revenue, FIFA aims to close the gender pay gap between the men’s and women’s World Cups.
While the federations of the 32 teams in the men’s 2022 World Cup shared $440 million in prize money, the women’s 2023 tournament had a total prize pool of $152 million, which also covered team preparation and payments to players’ clubs.
In FIFA’s 2023 financial report, total broadcasting revenue reached $244 million, a significant drop from the nearly $2.9 billion generated by the 2022 men’s World Cup.
The 2027 Women’s World Cup, a 32-team tournament with 64 games, will take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, and the U.S. will likely bid to host the 2031 edition, which FIFA is expected to expand to 48 teams, mirroring the men’s World Cup format starting in 2026.
Spain claimed victory in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, following the U.S.’s wins in 2019 and 2015. The 2015 final, a 5-2 victory over Japan, drew more than 25 million viewers in the U.S., with favorable viewing times similar to those for Brazil.
Looking ahead to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, Netflix plans to produce exclusive documentary series that will showcase the top players and explore the global growth of women’s football, according to FIFA.
