Global soccer’s governing body FIFA has begun the tender process for broadcast rights to its next two Women’s World Cups (WWC) in one of the women’s game’s biggest markets, the US.
An invitation to tender covering rights to the 2027 (Brazil) and 2031 (as yet unallocated) editions of the tournament was officially launched by FIFA yesterday (November 4), also covering Puerto Rico. This is the first time WWC rights are being sent to market in the US on a standalone basis.
While the tender is primarily focused on the 2027 edition of the national teams’ tournament - which will be in a favorable timezone for US audiences - interested parties can also submit offers for the 2031 edition if they so choose. That latter tournament is one for which the US and Mexico are expected to submit a joint hosting rights bid.
There is a bid submission deadline of 19:00 Central European Time on December 3, and interested parties can request the tender documents by emailing usa-mediarights@fifa.org.
The US is one of the traditional heavyweights in women's soccer, and has won four editions of the tournament - most recently, in France five years ago.
The last time the tournament was held in the Americas - 2015 in Canada - the US broadcast audience for the final (in which that team beat Japan 5-2) was an impressive 27 million, a US record for a televised soccer match.
However, at the most recent edition, in Australia and New Zealand in mid-2023, the team lost on penalties to Sweden in the round-of-16, despite being one of the pre-tournament favorites.
That tournament was shown in the US and Puerto Rico by the Fox (English-language) and Telemundo Deportes (Spanish-language) networks, as part of a wider deal with FIFA - also encompassing men's tournaments - unveiled in 2015.
Overall, the Fox tie-up has been reported by FIFA as being worth $235 million in total.
That deal also takes in the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup, which will be held across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
The top-tier National Women's Soccer League in the US is now shown by four broadcast partners - CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps - in a $240-million deal unveiled last November which was reported as the most lucrative media rights agreement for a women's sports property ever.
This is one of the first tender processes for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments to be launched - FIFA is currently focusing most of its energies on finding broadcast partners for the men’s World Cup in two years’ time.
Late October saw the European Broadcast Union (EBU), the umbrella body of free-to-air broadcasters, announce TV and radio broadcast rights to the 2026 and 2030 men’s editions in five markets - Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, and Israel (2026 only).
For the 2027 WWC, meanwhile, Brazil won a vote to host that tournament - coming out ahead of a joint Germany-Belgium-Netherlands submission - in May this year.
This will be the first time the WWC takes place in South America.
