TNT Sports and Channel 4 split Women’s FA Cup rights
The Football Association (FA) has awarded the domestic broadcast rights for the Women’s FA Cup to TNT Sports and Channel 4 in a new three-season agreement.
From next season, pay-TV network TNT Sports will show 19 matches per season, including one game from the first round and the second round. Free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4 will televise one match per stage, starting from the third round. Both broadcasters have also secured the rights to show the final live.
The Women’s FA Cup had previously been broadcast by the BBC since 2021, with the public service broadcaster showing the semi-finals and final live, alongside highlights and digital clips.
The FA has stated that this is the first ever standalone broadcast deal for the tournament, which will result in a significant increase in the number of matches broadcast live, with coverage extending to the first round for the first time.
This deal follows TNT Sports’ earlier broadcast agreement for the men’s FA Cup, where it will show the majority of games from next season, having agreed a free-to-air sublicensing deal with the BBC.
For Channel 4, this adds to its live sports portfolio, having recently secured the rights to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The agreement means that three major UK free-to-air broadcasters now show women’s soccer, with the BBC holding Women’s Super League (WSL) rights and ITV having recently extended its deal for England women’s national team matches.
“This is a significant moment for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. We have two broadcast partners who are deeply committed to growing the competition and taking it to new audiences over the next three seasons. We look forward to continuing to grow women’s football together.”
Mark Bullingham, FA Chief Executive
Scott Young, Senior Vice President of Content, Production and Business Operations at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports, said, “Welcoming the Adobe Women’s FA Cup to join the men’s competition on TNT Sports underlines our ongoing commitment to partner with and grow women’s sport across the sporting calendar – from football to rugby, cycling, tennis and more. TNT Sports looks forward to bringing the two competitions together and to give the women’s game a platform to reach millions of fans on TNT Sports.”
Pete Andrews, Channel 4’s Head of Sport, added, “Channel 4 will be bringing the Adobe Women’s FA Cup to football fans across the UK. This is an opportunity to showcase women’s football teams nationwide. By offering free-to-air coverage, we can reach wider audiences and inspire the next generation of footballers.”
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