The final showdown between Spain and England garnered nearly 5m viewers throughout the Middle East and North Africa region.
BeIN Sports has unveiled a cumulative viewership of 93.5m for the recently concluded month-long FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 held in Australia and New Zealand.
Covering all 64 games of the tournament in real-time and with exclusivity, beIN Sports offered dual-language broadcasts in both Arabic and English. The pinnacle of the competition saw Spain triumph over England in the final, held in Sydney, claiming their first world championship title. Remarkably, several key matches, including the semi-finals and final, along with the opening and closing ceremonies, were broadcast on beIN Sports’ free-to-air channel, showcasing the network’s dedication to enhancing the prominence of women’s sports within the region.
Expanding upon their coverage of the 2019 edition, beIN orchestrated an engaging programming lineup this year, featuring insights and analyses from an array of talents. Renowned presenters Areej Sleem and Nicky Crosby, alongside esteemed analysts like former Jordan captain Ala’a Othman, Moroccan referee Fatima Zohra, and former England internationals Claire Rafferty and Jodie Taylor, lent their expertise to the coverage.
Speaking about the success, Mohammad Al-Subaie, CEO of beIN – MENA, said: “When we launched our beINSPIRED initiative on the eve of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in 2019, the aim was to help grow under-represented sports and one of our focuses was women’s football. This year’s Women’s World Cup expanded from 24 teams to 32 teams, yet what we have witnessed this past month shows that not only is interest growing in the region, but the way fans follow the game is evolving too. With a cumulative viewership of over 93m tuning into our linear coverage from across the region, the growth of women’s football is undeniable, and we are very proud to be helping drive that.”
Witnessing a remarkable surge, nearly 2m fans attended the matches – an increase of more than 600,000 from the previous record – and enjoyed a record-setting tally of 164 goals. Additionally, the event marked the debut of nations like the Philippines, the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, and Morocco on the global football platform.
As players transition back to their respective club teams, their focus now shifts to national leagues and continental competitions. The upcoming UEFA Women’s Champions League season, commencing on September 6, will feature all but one of the 11 Spanish players who commenced the World Cup final. And as tradition dictates, beIN Sports remains the exclusive destination within the region for fans to savour every live moment of the action.
