DAZN removes paywall for women’s football

DAZN is removing its paywall for women’s football, as part of The New Deal For Women’s Football campaign.

The broadcaster, which holds rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League, LigaF, Serie A women’s, Saudi Premier League, Frauen Bundesliga, and more, will allow viewers globally to watch the competitions for free on its platform. This is in addition to the free coverage it already streams through YouTube, where the Women’s Champions League has been broadcast since it acquired the rights in 2021, as well as other competitions.

DAZN had earlier announced that it was aiming to bring the UWCL behind a paywall for at least part of this season, but this move appears to be a change of strategy.

The New Deal For Women’s Football is named in recognition of a 1967 women’s football tournament in Deal, a seaside town in Kent. In staging the event, Arthur Hobbs, the organiser and a local carpenter, broke a ban imposed by the English FA since 1921. The tournament became a catalyst for change and the ban was lifted in January 1970.

The four aims of the campaign are, a new deal from clubs, improving the match day experience, providing better facilities and increasing marketing; a new deal from sponsors, adopting a long-term investment horizon; a new deal from media and broadcasters, delivering broad distribution, premium coverage and enhanced marketing; and a new deal from rights holders, collaborating with clubs, brands, and broadcasters to maximise media value and drive growth.

Hannah Brown, Co-CEO of women’s sport at DAZN, said: “The women’s game is at a crossroads. We see two possible futures. In one, stakeholders come together to build a major global commercial sport. In the other, progress is slow and a golden opportunity to accelerate growth is lost.

“The women’s game has significant commercial potential. The opportunity must be seized now. It requires a venture capital mindset, with an investment horizon measured over several years.”

She added: “Women’s football is the most compelling sports investment opportunity for a generation. To realise its potential the game needs another moment of bravery and rule breaking just like that 1967 tournament.”

Esmeralda Negron, co-CEO of women’s sport at DAZN, expands on this: “We are committed to fostering and cultivating fandom for women’s football. Women’s football needs investment to realise its potential – developing a first-party relationship with fans across all demographics to scale its audience and become commercially viable.”