England beat Germany to win the 2022 Euros. Photo / Photosport
The possibility remains for Kiwi football fans to be able to watch this year’s Women’s European Championships, and for free, the governing body Uefa has confirmed to the Herald.
As reported by the Herald on Monday, no New Zealand-based broadcaster currently holds the rights to show this year’s tournament in Switzerland, which begins at the start of July.
The 2022 edition of the tournament saw attendance and viewership records smashed as England’s Lionesses claimed their maiden piece of silverware on home soil.
That uptick in interest has seen the 2025 Euros become the most anticipated iteration in its history.
Despite that, Kiwi broadcasters Sky, TVNZ and Warner Bros. Discovery all told the Herald they have no plans at present to bid for this year’s rights.
However, in a statement to the Herald, Uefa confirmed the window for a broadcaster to win the rights is not yet closed.
“We are engaging with the market, and there remains a possibility that an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks,” it said.
However, if a broadcaster cannot be found before the tournament kicks off, the governing body confirmed fans are able to view the tournament on Uefa’s own platform – Uefa TV – which requires viewers signing up and watching online for free.
The pinnacle European football tournament in Switzerland, starting on July 3, will stream across 138 countries, including 44 in Europe. Alongside New Zealand, the other Pacific Islands, Japan, China, South Korea and Indonesia are also yet to announce a broadcaster.
It comes two years after Aotearoa co-hosted the Fifa Women’s World Cup with Australia, breaking significant attendance records and garnering increased interest in the women’s game.
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She was named New Zealand’s Best Up and Coming journalist in 2025. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.