UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has extended its deal with the English Football Association for the Women’s FA Cup and has also reached an agreement for highlights to this year’s edition of golf’s Solheim Cup.
The new four-season agreement with the FA will run from 2021-22 to 2024-25. The announcement follows the BBC’s four-season renewal in March of domestic rights to the the Men’s FA Cup for the same 2021-25 period.
The BBC will cover both semi-finals and the final of the Women’s FA Cup. Highlights and digital clips of each season of the club competition will also be provided across BBC platforms.
Meanwhile, the BBC has agreed a deal with the Ladies European Tour to cover the 2019 Solheim Cup.
A one-hour highlights programme from Gleneagles in Scotland will be shown on either BBC Two or BBC Four after the conclusion of each day’s play from September 13-15. The programme will also be broadcast on BBC iPlayer.
LET chief executive Mark Lichtenhein said the deal will bring the team competition between Europe and the United States to the whole of the UK for the first time. Pay-television broadcaster Sky holds live rights to the tournament.
The deals were announced as the BBC unveiled its ‘Change The Game’ venture. This will see the corporation deliver a line-up of live women’s sport this year that includes the Women’s FA Cup Final, Fifa Women’s World Cup, Netball World Cup, Wimbledon, the Women’s Ashes and the World Athletics Championships. This will be complemented by additional content including documentaries, podcasts and online strands.