Fox Sports picks up first season of new women’s football league

The Fox Sports division of US network Fox has struck a rights deal for the new National Women’s Soccer League in North America.

Fox Sports acquired rights to the new professional football league in a one-season deal that will run until the end of the 2013 campaign.

The broadcaster will show six regular-season matches, starting on July 8, followed by two play-off matches and then the championship game on August 31.

The rights will be exploited on the Fox Soccer pay-television channel, which will close later this year to be replaced by general entertainment channel FXX.

The eight-team league kicked off its 2013 campaign last weekend.