Women's World Cup and Euros set to be added to 'crown jewels' list of sporting events
- Published
England lost 2-1 to the United States in the semi-finals of the 2019 Women's World Cup
The Women's World Cup and European Championship could both be added to the 'crown jewels' of British sporting events, securing free-to-air coverage.
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston announced the move at a Parliamentary debate on women's football.
He said it would be a "fantastic long-term boost for the game".
Euro 2022 is held in England from 6-31 July and broadcast across the BBC, while the 2023 Women's World Cup will be in Australia and New Zealand.
Huddleston has written to broadcasters about the additions of the two tournaments to the listed events regime.
"We remain absolutely committed to supporting women's sport at every opportunity, including raising its visibility in the media, which can help improve accessibility and participation," he added.
A record-breaking 28.1m people across the UK tuned in to watch the BBC's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup, including 11m people who watched England's loss to the United States in the semi-final.
Sporting events currently on the government's listed events regime include the men's World Cup, European Championship, Olympics, Paralympics, FA Cup Final, Scottish Cup Final, horse racing's Grand National, the Derby, Wimbledon finals, the Rugby World Cup Final and the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.
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