ITV and BBC strike deal with FIFA to show Women's World Cup

All 64 matches of this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup 64 matches will be broadcast live on terrestrial TV in the UK after ITV and the BBC agreed a joint rights deal.

ITV and the BBC will share the matches, including England’s Group D openers against Haiti, Denmark and China, with the exception of the final, which will be broadcast on both BBC One and ITV1.

The move, which includes live audio commentary on BBC 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra, comes after FIFA and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) agreed to extend their existing media rights partnership.

The tournament, which is jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicks off on July 20 when New Zealand face Norway in Auckland.

England’s first match is against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22.

ITV director of Sport Niall Sloane said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring comprehensive coverage of the Women’s World Cup, free to air to our audiences with both live and highlights broadcasts across ITV and ITVX.”

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: “We have shown every Women’s World Cup on the BBC since 1999 and we are happy to extend our partnership with FIFA for the upcoming tournament.

“The growth of the women’s game is extraordinary.”

ITV will split games between ITV1 and ITV4, with catch-up on ITVX.

The new deal to broadcast all 64 matches between FIFA and the EBU expands on a previous commitment to free-to-air broadcast across the continent, adding the five major markets of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as Ukraine.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the deal “a huge promotional and exposure opportunity for women’s football, which is a top priority for us in line with FIFA’s commitment to long-term development of the sport.

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