The 2023 women’s World Cup is the most recent women’s sports property set to cash in big on its next media rights deal.
The tournament could be worth more than $300 million, according to The Wall Street Journal — which would make it the most expensive women’s tournament in the world.
The revelation came after FIFA — inspired by the 1.12 billion viewers for the 2019 edition across all platforms — began looking into the value of the women’s World Cup as a separate property from its men’s counterpart.
Previously, there were no available estimates for the package.
Similar Situation
The NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament has faced a similar conundrum to the women’s World Cup, as its current media rights deal packages it with 28 other NCAA sports.
A media rights consultant estimated that the tournament could be worth between $81 million and $112 million annually in 2025, when the next deal rolls around. The current deal averages $34 million a year for all sports combined.
Since then, new NCAA President Charlie Baker previously told Front Office Sports the NCAA is conducting a market analysis, with the help of Endeavor, to determine the most lucrative way to sell the package.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told FOS he believes there should be a thorough exploration of selling the women’s tournament on its own.
