Women’s World Cup to be shown on BBC and ITV after deal struck with FIFA

By Mark Staniforth, PA

All 64 matches in this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup will be broadcast live on terrestrial TV in the UK after the BBC and ITV clinched a joint rights deal.

The move, which includes live audio commentary on BBC 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra, comes after FIFA and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) agreed to extend their existing media rights partnership.

The BBC and ITV will share the matches, including England’s Group D openers against Haiti, Denmark and China, with the exception of the final, which will be broadcast on both BBC One and ITV1.

The tournament, which is jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicks off on July 20 when New Zealand face Norway in Auckland, while England’s first match is against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22nd.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “We have shown every Women’s World Cup on the BBC since 1999 and we are happy to extend our partnership with FIFA for the upcoming tournament.

“The growth of the women’s game is extraordinary.”

ITV will split games between ITV1 and ITV4, with catch-up on ITVX.

ITV director of Sport Niall Sloane said: “”We’re delighted to be able to bring comprehensive coverage of the Women’s World Cup, free to air to our audiences with both live and highlights broadcasts across ITV and ITVX.”

The new deal between FIFA and the EBU expands on a previous commitment to free-to-air broadcast across the continent, adding the five major markets of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as Ukraine.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the deal “a huge promotional and exposure opportunity for women’s football, which is a top priority for us in line with FIFA’s commitment to long-term development of the sport.”