By Canadian Press

Watching FIFA Women’s World Cup in its entirety comes at a cost Down Under

Jul 25, 2023 | 2:14 AM

PERTH, Australia — Australians looking to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup in its entirety are having to dig into their pockets.

Channel 7 is airing and streaming just 15 of the tournament’s 64 matches for free: the two opening matches, two quarterfinals, both semifinals and the championship game plus all of the Australian matches.

Subscription-based Optus Sports, which is streaming all the tournament matches, sub-licensed the 15 games to Channel 7.

To watch the whole tournament package is 24.99 Australian dollars (C$22.25) per month or $6.99 (C$6.20) for Optus customers.

While Australia is a sports-mad country, there is no shortage of other events going on with the Aussie Rules Football and the National Rugby League at the business end of their seasons. Australia’s Ashes cricket showdown is also wrapping up in England with the fifth and final test scheduled to start Thursday at the Oval in London.

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The World Cup, which runs through Aug. 20 in Australia and New Zealand, is being broadcast in Canada on TSV, CTV and RDS.

YOUNG GUN

Casey Phair came off the South Korean bench in the 78th minute Monday to become the youngest-ever player to make an appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup at 16 years 26 days.

The American-born teenager has a Korean mother and an American father. She is the first player of mixed heritage to represent South Korea in the senior women’s or men’s national soccer teams, as well as the youngest.

Phair scored five goals in two games for the Korean under-17 team in Asian Cup qualifying before being called into the senior squad’s training camp in June. She attends high school in New Jersey where she has been training with the Players Development Academy.

South Korea lost 2-0 to Colombia in Group H play in Sydney, Australia.

TURNSTILES TURNING

A New Zealand family purchased the 1,500,000th ticket sold at the Women’s World Cup.

FIFA says Maria Strong bought the milestone ticket, organizing a family outing to the Group G match between Italy and Argentina at Auckland’s Eden Park to celebrate her son’s 12th birthday.

Strong, her husband and three children subsequently met FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who invited them to attend the remaining tournament matches at the Auckland venue.

The expanded 32-team tournament in Australia has already surpassed the previous attendance record of 1,353,506 set in 2015 in Canada, where the competition featured 24 countries. 

The opening games in this tournament have also set record attendances for a women’s soccer match in both Australia (75,784 for Australia versus Ireland) and Auckland (42,137 for New Zealand versus Norway).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2023.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press