FIFA's Women's Champions Cup TV Rights Remain Unsold, A Blow to Global Football
The first-ever global women's club competition, FIFA's Women's Champions Cup, has failed to secure TV rights deals with major broadcasters. Despite being a highly anticipated event, the tournament, which is set to take place in London from January 28, remains unsold, casting a shadow over the future of this new initiative.
The situation echoes that of last year's Club World Cup, where FIFA struggled to find buyers for its media rights, eventually selling a stake to Dazn, a global streaming platform. While there are rumors of a potential late-stage deal with broadcasters such as Sky Sports and BBC Sport, both have shown little interest in purchasing the rights to the tournament.
The involvement of top clubs like Arsenal, Corinthians, and Gotham FC may have been expected to generate more interest from broadcasters, particularly given that all matches will be held in London. However, sources close to the negotiations suggest that FIFA has not run a formal tender process, instead targeting key markets individually.
A congested calendar, which includes the already highly competitive Women's Super League schedule, is also believed to have contributed to the tournament's lack of appeal. Arsenal, one of the top teams competing in the Champions Cup, expressed concerns over traveling to the United States for the finals, which may have deterred other broadcasters from investing.
FIFA has declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, but it is clear that securing media rights deals will be crucial to the long-term success of this new competition. With only four matches scheduled to take place in January and February, it remains uncertain whether broadcasters see the Women's Champions Cup as a valuable property.
The first-ever global women's club competition, FIFA's Women's Champions Cup, has failed to secure TV rights deals with major broadcasters. Despite being a highly anticipated event, the tournament, which is set to take place in London from January 28, remains unsold, casting a shadow over the future of this new initiative.
The situation echoes that of last year's Club World Cup, where FIFA struggled to find buyers for its media rights, eventually selling a stake to Dazn, a global streaming platform. While there are rumors of a potential late-stage deal with broadcasters such as Sky Sports and BBC Sport, both have shown little interest in purchasing the rights to the tournament.
The involvement of top clubs like Arsenal, Corinthians, and Gotham FC may have been expected to generate more interest from broadcasters, particularly given that all matches will be held in London. However, sources close to the negotiations suggest that FIFA has not run a formal tender process, instead targeting key markets individually.
A congested calendar, which includes the already highly competitive Women's Super League schedule, is also believed to have contributed to the tournament's lack of appeal. Arsenal, one of the top teams competing in the Champions Cup, expressed concerns over traveling to the United States for the finals, which may have deterred other broadcasters from investing.
FIFA has declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations, but it is clear that securing media rights deals will be crucial to the long-term success of this new competition. With only four matches scheduled to take place in January and February, it remains uncertain whether broadcasters see the Women's Champions Cup as a valuable property.
maybe if they had done a proper bidding process, things would be different? and honestly, the schedule sounds pretty packed... i feel for the teams that have to travel all over the place 
what do u think is gonna happen with this tournament now? will it even get off the ground or is it gonna get cancelled? 
I'm not surprised that Sky Sports and BBC Sport are sniffing around, but come on guys, you're basically saying the tournament isn't worth investing in. And it's not like Arsenal or Corinthians aren't popular teams, they've got loads of fans worldwide. It's just so frustrating to see all this potential being wasted because FIFA can't get their act together.
This just goes to show how tough it is for women's sports to get the recognition they deserve. I mean, can you imagine if men's football had the same issues? It'd be a disaster. 
They need to step up and make this tournament appealing to broadcasters, or else we might see a lot of dropouts in the future. 
i was really looking forward to watching some amazing football matches with my friends online. but honestly, i can understand why tv rights deals are hard to get... think about it, the schedule is super congested and it's almost like a mini-WSL in london. i mean, who wouldn't wanna watch arsenal take on another top team? 
. The calendar's crazy busy, and I think that's part of the problem - how can anyone justify broadcasting more matches when the leagues are already jammed? 
And yeah, FIFA's whole strategy of targeting specific markets individually doesn't really make sense... shouldn't they be trying to attract bigger broadcasters from the get-go? 
Still, gotta feel for the teams that have made it into this thing - Gotham FC, Corinthians, and Arsenal are all legends! 
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. The fact that Arsenal was concerned about traveling to the US for the finals? That's a red flag 
. It shows they're not thinking about the bigger picture.
. Until then, this tournament is going to struggle to find its footing 
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. I mean, it's like they're expecting everyone to just magically invest in this thing without having to do any actual legwork. I get that it's a new tournament and all, but come on, they should've done more research on what broadcasters want before starting these talks.
But come on, top clubs like Arsenal and Corinthians are playing! You'd think that'd bring in more cash.
. FIFA's not exactly known for being transparent about things, if you ask me. Maybe they should just be upfront about it instead of trying to keep it under wraps? 
plus with all those other womens leagues happening around the same time, it's just not the right time for this tournament 
FIFA's Women's Champions Cup is like that one aunt at the family reunion - nobody wants her on their screen 
. Congrats to Dazn for swooping up a stake tho 
I'm guessing FIFA is hoping for major broadcasters to step up and show their support for the ladies' game, but if they're not getting the interest, it might be a tough road ahead. The congestion in the calendar is definitely a factor, and you gotta feel for Arsenal's players having to travel all that way for the finals 
. Maybe FIFA can revisit the negotiation strategy and make it more appealing to broadcasters? 
to make broadcasters wanna invest. I mean, the top clubs are all gonna be there, so that's a draw, right? 
. I feel bad for FIFA and the teams participating – it's clear that they need TV rights deals to succeed in the long run. Fingers crossed they get something sorted soon! 
. Can you imagine all those amazing teams competing in London? it would've been epic 
. and i totally get why broadcasters might be hesitant with the congested calendar... but like, can we please try to make it work? 
! It's like, they're trying to break through and make a name for themselves, but nobody wants to give them a chance 
. A congested calendar is no excuse, especially when it comes to getting broadcasters on board 
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. The women's game needs more love and support, you know? We need to see some big broadcasters getting behind it and giving the ladies some serious coverage 