Sky Mexico, the pay-TV broadcaster, has acquired rights to England’s Women’s Super League in a three-year deal.
The agreement in Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic follows swiftly on from Nordic Entertainment (Nent) Group last week announcing the acquisition of WSL rights in the Nordic region.
Both deals run from 2019-20 to 2021-22 and represent the first time that the women’s top flight will be shown by broadcasters internationally.
Live coverage will be available in other international markets on The FA Player, the Football Association’s new OTT streaming service. The platform will offer free coverage of over 150 women’s football fixtures throughout the 2019-20 season, beginning with live coverage of this weekend’s opening games. Coverage will be geo-blocked in the territories covered by the Sky Mexico and Nent deals.
The FA, which oversees the WSL, said that the “six-figure revenue from the deals will be reinvested into the further broadcasting of women’s football, including the development of The FA Player and its in-game production”.
Nent has committed to showing at least 50 games per season from the WSL.
Tom Gracey, the FA’s senior broadcast manager, said: “We’re delighted that the strength of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League is being recognised globally, 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 in order to drive forward the commercialisation of women’s football and create a new fanbase globally.”