Streaming giant Netflix challenges traditional broadcasters with Women's World Cup deal

Netflix is making its biggest play yet in live sports, locking up the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups. The move completes its North American takeover of the event, following a similar deal for the U.S. rights.

• Off the airwaves: The deal yanks the premier women's soccer competition from traditional broadcasters, with Netflix taking over from TSN in Canada and Fox Sports in the U.S.. The move marks the streamer's first grab of a full tournament, adding another tentpole to a live sports roster that already includes NFL Christmas Day games and WWE Raw.
• The content play: But this is about more than just broadcasting games. Netflix is expected to leverage its content machine to build hype, reportedly planning to produce docuseries that follow some of the sport's biggest stars—a strategy it has successfully used with shows like Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team.
• Buffering anxiety: All eyes will be on Netflix’s live-streaming tech. The company has streamed massive events like the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, but some broadcasts were plagued by technical issues. It's a problem Netflix must solve to keep millions of soccer fans from seeing red.

FIFA sees the partnership as a strategic bet on a global platform to expand the sport's reach. The tournament itself is growing, with the 2027 competition in Brazil set to feature 32 teams before expanding to a 48-team tournament for the 2031 edition.