FIFA and Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab have signed a deal to broadcast the 2027 and 2031 editions of the Women’s World Cup in the United States, world soccer’s governing body said on Friday.

FIFA said the Women’s World Cup will be the first competition to be acquired in full by Netflix and U.S.-based fans would be able to watch every match live.

The agreement also includes Puerto Rico while it will cover all languages, with a dual telecast in English and Spanish in the U.S.

“As a marquee brand and FIFA’s new long-term partner, Netflix has shown a very strong level of commitment to growing women’s football,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“Besides broadcasting the tournaments themselves, Netflix will play a key role in terms of bringing the fascination of women’s football to a multi-million audience in the lead-up to both final tournaments, thereby enabling us to further increase their appeal.”

The 2027 Women’s World Cup is set to be played in Brazil between June 24 and July 25, the first time the tournament will be held in South America. The 2031 edition’s hosts are yet to be decided by the FIFA Congress.

Apart from live coverage, Netflix will also produce a documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments.

The deal is the latest in Netflix’s embrace of sports, as the streaming service looks to build on its strategy of providing proprietary content that viewers cannot find elsewhere.

Netflix said more than 100 million people worldwide tuned in to watch a fight between retired great Mike Tyson and social media influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul last month.

The streaming giant will also put on two live NFL games for the first time on Christmas Day.

Tense negotiations over television deals for the 2023 edition of the tournament nearly led to it being blacked out in key countries, as FIFA sold the broadcast rights for the women’s competition separately from the men’s for the first time.

The tournament, which culminated in a blockbuster finale between England and Spain, went on to attract record viewership and 12 million tuned in to BBC One to watch the championship match in the UK.

-Reuters

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Morocco plans to expand its airport capacity to 80 million passengers by 2030 from 38 million currently, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said.

Akhannouch told members of parliament that the plan is part of Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 soccer World Cup with Spain and Portugal and promote tourism.

Casablanca’s airport capacity will be expanded to 23.3 million passengers, while tourist hubs Marrakech and Agadir will have a capacity of 14 million passengers and 6.3 million respectively by 2030, he said.

Morocco received a record 15.9 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the total in the entire previous year thanks to more air routes, according to tourism ministry figures.

Morocco is also working to extend its high-speed train network to Marrakech before the World Cup, and further south to Agadir.

The rail operator also aims to expand its network to double the number of cities it serves to 43, or 87% of the Moroccan population, by 2040.

The prime minister also mentioned the expansion and renovation of 45 stadiums and training sites in the six cities that are planned to host the World Cup, in addition to the construction of a new stadium with 115,000 seats near Casablanca.

Investments in stadium construction and expansion would cost Morocco up to 5 billion dirhams ($500 million), the government has said.

Morocco is also hosting the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in 2025.

-Reuters

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England’s FA decided to back Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup after being reassured by answers they received from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) during a meeting last month, chair Debbie Hewitt said on Friday.

Global soccer governing body FIFA officially awarded the World Cup to the Kingdom on Wednesday, with the sole bid for the tournament confirmed by acclamation.

A number of rights organisations strongly criticised FIFA after the announcement, pointing to Saudi’s human rights record.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, although critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, allege it is using its Public Investment Fund to sportswash its human rights record.

The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

Prior to Saudi’s confirmation as World Cup hosts, the FA said it had met with the SAFF in November.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision – I think it was a very thorough process. We spent a lot of time with the Saudis, understanding their approach to the tournament,” Hewitt told the BBC.

“We asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments and I think the important thing is that we will now work with them over the next 10 years leading up to the tournament to make sure that those commitments are delivered – from both sides.

“We were reassured by the answers that we got and think this is about a partnership. A tournament is not just about the host. A tournament is about those who go along and play their part in it and that’s what we want to do.”

England’s FA was among a group of soccer federations who had planned to wear “OneLove” armbands to protest against discrimination during the World Cup in Qatar, but those plans were scrapped after FIFA threatened sporting sanctions.

-Reuters

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