UEFA today announced that the DAZN sports streaming network now has the exclusive rights to distribute the UEFA Women's Champions League globally for four years.
has made a name for itself the past few years in all sorts of live sports, most notably boxing. The new four-year deal gets the service rights worldwide, with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa (which will still get clips and highlights), as well as China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. So not quite worldwide, but still a lot of it.
What's more is that the first two seasons — 2021-22, and 2022-23 — all 61 matches from the group stage onward will be available on DAZN as well as DAZN's YouTube channel. The following two seasons will find all 61 matches on DAZN, and 19 on YouTube as well.
"We are delighted to announce the start of a four-year global partnership with DAZN and YouTube," UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said in a press release. "For the first two seasons fans around the world can access and watch for free all matches enabling fans to follow the competition and the very best players in the world. There is no better way to inspire future generations of young girls and boys to play football. Women’s football is here to stay and will only grow stronger."
While the deal is a far-reaching one, it's still decidedly less easy to watch the Women's Champions League than it is the men's side of the equation. In the United States, for example, the Champions League has better visibility on the CBS Sports Network, which is available on cable, satellite and linear streaming services like Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, and FuboTV — as well as on the flagship Paramount+ service as part of its live sports endeavor.
Still, 61 games that you don't have to pay to watch on YouTube is a good thing. The exposure is good for the athletes. And also for DAZN.
