NOS, the public-service broadcaster in the Netherlands, has today agreed a deal with the KNVB, the national soccer federation, for rights to matches played by the women's national team, the reigning European champions.

The multi-platform agreement covers all qualifying matches of the team for the next four years, covering the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup and 2025 Uefa Women's Euros.

Qualifiers for the World Cup, which will feature 32 nations for the first time and be played in Australia and New Zealand, will commence in September 2021.

In addition, NOS' deal with the KNVB covers friendly matches of the women's national team.

NOS succeeds Veronica, the SBS-owned commercial network, as the rights-holder. Veronica showed the Netherlands' qualifying games for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup and the women’s 2021 Euros, which has now been delayed to 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

NOS will follow the Netherlands' bid to retain the Euros in 2022, having picked up the rights via Eurovision Sport, the sports arm of the European Broadcasting Union, which struck a comprehensive deal with Uefa covering major women's, youth and futsal national team competitions across the continent late last year.

The Netherlands’ victory against Denmark in the Euro 2017 final was watched by a record 4.1 million viewers and a huge 83.2-per-cent share on NOS.

Away from international soccer, NOS has also struck a new three-year deal for the Women's Eredivisie, the top domestic league. It covers weekly highlights and select live matches.

NOS is sharing coverage in the 2020-21 season with pay-TV's Fox Sports.

Sportcal