Saudi Arabia launches 24-hour women’s sports channel: What to know
The launch coincides with the start of the Saudi Women’s Premier League season, which will see the soccer competition broadcast nationally and globally for the first time.
Saudi Arabia launched a 24-hour women’s sports channel on Friday as the kingdom pushes to liberalize and increase female participation in public life amid sweeping social and economic reforms.
What happened: All Women’s Sports Network, a US outfit owned and co-founded by Oscar-winning actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, will launch the channel in partnership with the Saudi football federation and national broadcaster Saudi Sports Company, according to a Reuters report.
The channel will be available to watch via the MBC Shahid streaming platform starting Friday, the newswire reported, citing a spokesperson.
The launch coincides with the start of the Saudi Women’s Premier League season, which will be broadcast nationally and globally for the first time. One primetime match will be broadcast on the channel each week as well as international tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League and games from other women's sports competitions.
