The Women’s Super League has secured its first overseas broadcast rights deal, with a six-figure sum agreed.
Sky Mexico and Scandinavian broadcaster NENT have signed a three-year deal with the Football Association, which runs English women’s football’s top tier.
The deal covers Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
The new WSL season begins on Saturday, with 12 teams making up England’s largest full-time women’s league yet.
All games were already set to be broadcast live globally for free on the FA’s new streaming app, the FA Player, which formally launched on Monday.
But as part of Sky Mexico and NENT’s deal, live WSL matches in the FA Player will be geo-blocked in the relevant countries.
The new FA Player will also stream selected match highlights from the England Lionesses, the Women’s FA Cup and the FA Women’s Continental League Cup this season.
“We’re delighted that the strength of the league is being recognised globally,” said Tom Gracey, the FA’s senior broadcast manager.
“These two deals are a sign of the global strength and growing commercial prospects of the league.
“It is particularly pleasing that revenue will be targeted at the development of the FA Player.
“Through this reinvestment, our aim is to help improve the experience for viewers around the world and strengthen the brands of our competitions, clubs and players.”
The 2019-20 WSL campaign will be the first with the league sponsored by Barclays, after it agreed a three-year partnership – understood to be worth in excess of £10m – in March.
BBC Sport has launched #ChangeTheGame this summer to showcase female athletes in a way they never have been before. Through more live women’s sport available to watch across the BBC this summer, complemented by our journalism, we are aiming to turn up the volume on women’s sport and alter perceptions. Find out more here.
