BBC and ITV will share live television coverage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, ensuring that every match of the tournament will be available free-to-air for viewers across the UK. The competition, hosted in Australia and New Zealand, will run from July through to the final in August and is expected to attract huge viewing figures following the success of England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 victory.

The tournament will feature 32 teams for the first time in Women’s World Cup history, making it the biggest edition of the competition so far. Matches will be shown across BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1 and ITV4, with streaming coverage also available through BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Under the agreement between FIFA, the BBC and ITV, all 64 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live in the UK. The final itself will be simulcast on both BBC One and ITV1.

England’s Lionesses will once again be one of the main attractions for UK audiences. ITV will show England’s opening group match against Haiti as well as their final group stage game against China, while the BBC will broadcast England’s clash with Denmark.

Republic of Ireland matches will also feature prominently across both broadcasters. ITV will air the Republic of Ireland’s opening fixture against tournament co-hosts Australia, while additional Irish matches will be shared between ITV and the BBC.

Because the tournament is taking place in Australia and New Zealand, UK viewers will need to prepare for some unusually early kick-off times. Many matches will begin during the early morning hours or late morning in the UK due to the significant time difference. Broadcasters have confirmed that most games will kick off between 8am and midday UK time.

The BBC will have first pick of certain knockout stage fixtures, including England’s Round of 16 match should the Lionesses qualify from the group stage. ITV, meanwhile, will hold first and second choice picks for the quarter-finals and will also show the third-place play-off alongside shared final coverage.

The agreement to show the tournament on free-to-air television came after lengthy negotiations between FIFA and European broadcasters. Earlier in 2023 there had been concerns that viewers in some countries could miss out on coverage entirely following disputes over broadcasting rights fees and concerns over viewing figures due to the tournament’s time zone.

Interest in women’s football in the UK has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly following England’s success at Euro 2022. Broadcasters are expected to devote significant airtime and promotional coverage to the tournament, with dedicated studio analysis, highlights programming and digital coverage across BBC Sport and ITV Sport platforms.

Streaming is also expected to play a major role during the tournament, especially for viewers watching matches during work hours or while travelling. Both BBC iPlayer and ITVX will carry live streams of their respective matches, allowing viewers to watch on mobile devices, tablets and smart TVs.

With England among the favourites and free-to-air coverage guaranteed throughout the tournament, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is expected to become one of the biggest televised sporting events of the summer in the UK.

See below for a handy guide to the Group Stage’s TV fixture split between BBC and ITV coverage.

Group Stage TV Schedule

Alongside TV coverage, live audio commentary will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra, after securing rights to broadcast the tournament. Fans will be able to listen to 5 Live coverage on BBC Sounds, DAB radio and the BBC Sport website.