TNT Sports and Channel 4 secure rights to Women’s FA Cup

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TNT Sports and Channel 4 have secured the domestic rights to the Women’s FA Cup as part of a new three-season deal with The Football Association (FA).

Starting next season, TNT Sports will show 19 matches from the knockout tournament each year, including one game from both the first and second rounds.

Channel 4 will also broadcast one match from each stage, beginning with the third round, and both networks will air the final live.

Since 2021, the BBC has held the broadcast rights to the Women’s FA Cup, airing both semi-finals and the final live, along with highlights and digital clips from the competition.

The FA has confirmed this marks the tournament’s first-ever stand-alone broadcast deal, which will lead to a major increase in the number of live matches shown — including coverage of the first round for the very first time.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham highlighted Channel 4 and TNT’s commitment to growing the competition and reaching new audiences.

“This is a significant moment for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup,” said Bullingham in a press release

“We have two broadcast partners who are deeply committed to growing the competition and taking it to new audiences over the next three seasons.

“Channel 4 and TNT are brilliant sports broadcasters and are the perfect combination for this very special tournament.

“We’re delighted to be working with them and look forward to continuing to grow women’s football together.”

TNT’s deal to broadcast the Women’s FA Cup follows its earlier agreement to show the men’s FA Cup, made earlier this year.

Starting next season, TNT will air most of the matches and has also struck a free-to-air sublicensing deal with the BBC.

Scott Young, senior vice president of content, production and business operations at Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports, stated that adding the Women’s FA Cup to TNT Sports reflects their commitment to supporting women’s sport year-round, with a focus on telling powerful stories from grassroots to the elite level.

“Welcoming the Adobe Women’s FA Cup to join the men’s competition on TNT Sports underlines our ongoing commitment to partner with and grow women’s sport across the sporting calendar – from football to rugby, cycling, tennis and more,” said Young in a press release

“Starting with our team of passionate football storytellers, TNT Sports is excited by the opportunity to showcase the full breadth and power of women’s football stories – from grassroots through to the elite level.”

“We look forward to bringing the two competitions together and deliver an ambition to show more FA Cup coverage than ever before, to innovate in our coverage and promotion, and to give the women’s game a fantastic platform to reach millions of fans on TNT Sports.”

This marks Channel 4’s latest move in sports broadcasting, following its recent deal to show the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

England will look to defend its title in the tournament, with matches available on both Channel 4’s main TV channel and its YouTube channel.

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FCA to Host Exclusive Two-Part Goalscoring Workshop Series with Dr Ron Smith

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One of Australian football’s most respected coaching minds shares decades of research ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has announced an exclusive two-part coach education series featuring renowned coach educator and football analyst Dr Ron Smith, offering coaches a rare opportunity to explore the evolving science of goalscoring through the lens of one of Australia’s most influential football thinkers.

The online workshops, scheduled for June 1 and June 8, will examine the historical development, modern trends and future direction of goalscoring in football, drawing on extensive research that formed the foundation of Dr Smith’s doctoral studies.

For FCA, the sessions represent the culmination of more than a year of planning and provide a timely opportunity for coaches to deepen their understanding of attacking play ahead of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

“Ron’s work on goalscoring has been years in the making and continues to evolve,” FCA President Ian Greener said.

“We felt there was no better time to bring this knowledge to the coaching community than in the lead-up to the World Cup, when coaches around the world will be analysing the game’s best teams and players.”

Across the two sessions, Dr Smith will present findings from his extensive research into goalscoring patterns and trends, examining how the game has changed over time and what coaches can learn from football’s biggest tournaments.

Topics covered throughout the series will include:

  • Historical analysis of goalscoring trends
  • How goalscoring has evolved in the modern game
  • Key patterns identified through Dr Smith’s research
  • Scoring trends across the last six FIFA Men’s World Cups
  • Comparisons between men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments
  • The role of pressing, transition moments and direct play in creating goals
  • Practical coaching implications for improving attacking performance

The two-part structure has been intentionally designed to build upon itself. Session One will focus on the evidence, data and research underpinning Dr Smith’s findings, while Session Two will explore the practical applications and coaching interventions that can emerge from that analysis.

Football Australia has accredited both workshops with one Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hour each, allowing coaches to earn two CPD hours by attending both sessions.

Dr Smith’s coaching and coach education credentials span decades. He has worked extensively with Football Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and the Socceroos, while also holding coaching roles internationally in Iceland and Malaysia, as well as within the A-League.

His contributions to coach development have helped shape generations of Australian coaches, making this series a valuable opportunity for coaches across all levels of the game.

Event Details

History and Future of Goalscoring – Session One
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 7:30pm AEST
Format: Online
CPD: 1 Football Australia-accredited CPD hour

Following the completion of the FIFA Men’s World Cup, FCA is also planning a special panel discussion featuring leading Australian and international coaching voices to analyse the key tactical developments, trends and lessons emerging from the tournament.

Further details regarding that event are expected to be released later this year.

FCA members can attend the workshops free of charge, while guest registrations are available through Eventbrite.

Football NSW calls on clubs to Make It Red for Heart Health Round

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Football NSW is calling on clubs and associations across the state to register for the 2026 Make It Red campaign, joining a national awareness movement aimed at reducing heart-related deaths on sporting grounds ahead of Heart Health Round on the weekend of June 5 to 7.

The campaign, developed by the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, asks sporting clubs to wear red, raise funds and build awareness around heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading single cause of disease burden and death in Australia for both men and women, and one that health authorities say is largely preventable through modifiable risk factors.

The call to action comes as the Foundation continues its work to map and register Automated External Defibrillators across NSW sporting facilities, a project that has already engaged twelve football associations and fed data into both the NSW Ambulance GoodSAM registry and NSW Health’s public AED map. The availability of a functioning, registered AED on site is among the most significant determinants of survival following sudden cardiac arrest, with survival rates declining sharply for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is encouraging clubs to engage with the campaign across three areas. Clubs can register for the Make It Red campaign to help fund research, education and prevention programs. Participants, particularly those aged over 35, are encouraged to seek a free heart health screening test from their local GP or enquire about hosting a Heartbeat of Football testing day. Clubs are also urged to ensure their grounds have active, accessible AEDs in place, with guidance available through Football NSW’s Rescue Ready Guide.

The Make It Red campaign runs from June 5 to July 12, with Heart Health Round taking place across the opening weekend. Clubs can register and access participation resources at makeitred.org.

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