In just over a week, the highly-anticipated group stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) kicks off with the promise of top-class football featuring clubs such as FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC Women, FC Bayern München, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Madrid CF, Paris Saint-Germain, and AS Roma.
As DAZN enters the third year of its landmark partnership with UEFA as the global broadcaster of the UWCL, we strive to break records by putting the women’s game at the centre of our business, with all 61 games live across our platforms. On top of that, to make the game accessible to all, every group stage game will be free to watch in the UK and other global territories initially through DAZN’s YouTube channel and later, on DAZN platforms.
DAZN’s coverage of the UWCL 2022/23 season saw the competition viewed in more than 230 territories worldwide with 55.2 million views on the DAZN Women’s Football YouTube Channel, up 19% on the 2021/22 season. DAZN’s co-CEO of Women’s Sport Hannah Brown, outlines just how important this growth is.
“The Women’s World Cup this summer captured the attention and imagination of millions around the world and DAZN recognises that women’s football is a once-in-a-generation growth opportunity. DAZN has shown early leadership with its media rights acquisitions to date. We are building a unique global women’s football business showcasing the best clubs in the world, engaging a global audience season-long across our platform and channels.
"We have an unparalleled portfolio of top-tier football including Liga F, Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga, D1 Arkema, eBay Serie A, Barclays Women’s Super League, Women’s FA Cup and the NWSL. We are investing across the board from high quality broadcast and production through to ubiquitous distribution and multi-channel marketing. This multi-pronged approach is critical to the growth of women’s football, creating a commercially attractive environment for brands to reach this diverse, valuable, and global audience”.
DAZN’s commitment to championing the reach, quality and accessibility of women’s football is unrivalled and is setting a new standard for women’s sport. As we continue to change the game, others are taking note of the incredible social and commercial potential across the sport. As such, we are delighted that our global sponsorship deals with adidas and EA Sports have been extended into the 23-24 season.
Building on the undertaking to help the competition reach a scaled mainstream audience, these deals will include adidas and EA Sports sponsorship and advertising during live matches, as well as related highlights, clips, and non-live content across both DAZN and DAZN’s YouTube channel.
Across TV & Streaming, the 2022/23 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final attracted a live viewership of 5.1 million. This was a 40% increase on last season, with the audience boosted by free-to-air TV coverage in domestic markets and being available globally via YouTube and DAZN.
We expect performance metrics to continue to grow this season. Alongside our coverage of all 61 matches, DAZN is investing in coverage of the game across our social channels, as well as introducing new short-form content highlighting both the skill and personalities of featured world-class players. Content formats include:
Kids vs. Pros – Back for a second year, Kids vs. Pros allows fans to get to their idols through the eyes of… kids? We all know the youth can get away with asking anything, so Kids vs. Pros means that no question is off the table.
Ultimate Five-A-Side – Players are required to build their dream five-a-side team. But will these teams include the players fans at home would expect?
Categories – Two players go head-to-head in a categories face off. Speed will be of the essence with questions ranging from football to food.
Blindfold Keepy-Uppies – Exactly what is says on the tin. We blindfold some of the biggest stars of the competition and challenge them to see just how well they can juggle the ball.
Quickfire Questions – We know the players can perform under pressure while on the pitch, but under DAZN’s spotlight who will come out the winner and who will be left with mud on their face as they are challenged to our short form quiz show?
All group stage games will be available to stream for free in the UK and other global territories excluding China and MENA. Some games will be restricted from YouTube in France, Germany, and Spain. Initially fans will be able to watch the UWCL group stage up to and including Matchday 4 on DAZN’s YouTube channel, with coverage then moving to the DAZN app and platforms into a freemium environment.