The majority of Women’s Champions League matches will be shown behind a paywall next season, with the broadcaster Dazn believing the time is right to “accelerate the value” of the women’s game.
Under Dazn’s new pay/freemium model, which was confirmed officially on Monday, 42 of the 61 games will be shown on the company’s subscription service, which costs £9.99 a month. But 19 games will remain free on YouTube – including the final, all of the quarter-finals and semi-finals and 12 from across the group stage.
Dazn’s global markets chief executive, Veronica Diquattro, said the development was a crucial step in helping to enhance the financial viability of the women’s game. “We have been growing the visibility of the WCL thanks to our partnership with YouTube,” she said.
“It has seen millions of streams on our Dazn platform, and also on our YouTube channel with 14 million‑plus extra viewers compared to the previous year.
“But now the time is right to convert this visibility into viability and value for the long-term sustainability of the rights. Driving the commercial value upwards is how we can make sure there will be future investment in the sport for the benefit of the game and the players. And it’s also in the interest of the clubs and Uefa as well.”
Dazn owns the global rights of the WCL from 2021 until 2025, and initially decided to stream all 61 games for free on its YouTube channel, which has more than 600,000 subscribers.
Diquattro said she regarded the switch to a different model as the next step in the evolution of women’s football. She also hopes the majority of fans will support the move as it will allow clubs to have more money to invest in the sport and pay players what they deserve.
“We have spoken to Uefa and YouTube and we are all aligned. Because we are fighting for the same results – to accelerate the value of the women’s game.”
This year’s WCL final, between Barcelona and Wolfsburg, will be played on Saturday 3 June in the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven.
