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Netflix Lands Canadian Broadcast Rights for 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups

ByYasmeeta Oon

Aug 12, 2025

Netflix Lands Canadian Broadcast Rights for 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups

Netflix has acquired exclusive broadcasting rights in Canada for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031, matching a similar rights deal it announced for the U.S. earlier. Traditionally, the tournament has aired on free-to-air public networks to reach the widest possible audience, but Netflix is moving further into live sports, adding the event to its growing list of high-profile competitions.

The Women’s World Cup will mark Netflix’s first live soccer broadcast. The U.S. deal was announced in December, signaling the company’s intent to become a player in global sports streaming.

Netflix has been steadily expanding its live sports offerings, which now include Christmas Day NFL games, major boxing cards such as Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, and the weekly WWE Raw program. The Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano boxing event reportedly drew 74 million live viewers worldwide, underscoring Netflix’s reach in live sports.

FIFA’s chief business officer Romy Gai welcomed the partnership, saying it would help grow the popularity of the women’s game in Canada, a nation with a strong Women’s World Cup legacy.

Tournament Details and Hosting Plans

The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be hosted in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, featuring 32 teams across eight cities. The 2031 edition will expand to 48 teams, with the host nation to be announced at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver on April 30, 2026.

Netflix vice-president of sports Gabe Spitzer said preparations are already underway to give fans unprecedented access to the tournament. Meanwhile, the U.S. Soccer Federation has expressed interest in submitting a joint 2031 hosting bid with other CONCACAF nations.

For the first time, FIFA sold Canadian broadcasting rights for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments on a stand-alone basis rather than bundling them with other FIFA events. The bidding deadline was July 10. At the 2023 tournament, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, TSN and CTV carried all 64 matches, attracting nearly two million fans to stadiums and over two billion views across television, streaming, and social media platforms.

A Shift in How Fans Will Watch

While Netflix’s acquisition is a big win for the platform, it also means Canadian fans without a subscription could miss out on live coverage of the world’s biggest women’s sporting event. Streaming exclusivity brings more investment and potentially better production, but it also risks putting major cultural moments behind a paywall.


Featured image credit: Thibault Penin via Unsplash

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Yasmeeta Oon

Just a girl trying to break into the world of journalism, constantly on the hunt for the next big story to share.

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