Netflix has secured the U.S. rights to stream the next two women’s soccer World Cups, taking a major step forward in its bet on live sports.
The Wall Street Journal reports the deal, announced Friday, means the streamer will broadcast the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031. The value of the deal wasn’t given.
The move marks the first time Netflix has bought all of the rights for such a high-profile international competition.
The stream was marred by technical difficulties with fans taking to social media to complain about slow loading speeds and pixelated pictures. The fight drew an estimated 108 million viewers globally, Netflix said.
Netflix declined to comment on the tech issues at the time, but the program raised questions about the company’s technical chops ahead of other high-profile sporting events, including National Football League games on Christmas and World Wrestling Entertainment content.
The 2027 Women’s World Cup, which covers 32 teams and 64 games, will be played in Brazil from June 24 to July 25. The 2031 hosts haven’t yet been decided.
World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences. Netflix’s foray into live sports programming is part of its long-term strategy to build appointment viewing on the platform, which not only furthers its push to replace traditional TV networks as the main household entertainment but also offers lucrative advertising potential.
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