Riyadh – The All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the national broadcaster Saudi Sports Company (SSC), will launch the Kingdom’s first dedicated 24-hour women’s sports channel on Friday.
Founded last year with the involvement of Academy Award-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, AWSN is the world’s first global media network exclusively devoted to showcasing women’s sports.
An AWSN spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the new 24-hour channel, branded “SSC AWSN”, will be available in the Kingdom through the MBC Shahid streaming platform starting Friday.
The launch coincides with the opening of the Saudi Women’s Premier League season, which will, for the first time, be broadcast both domestically and internationally. Since the introduction of reforms under Saudi Vision 2030, women’s participation in sports such as football and tennis has seen significant growth.
Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, said: “Since the Women’s Premier League began in 2022, I have been immensely proud of its progress. Last season included players from over 20 nationalities. With this partnership, their fans abroad will now be able to watch them live.”
Aalia Al-Rasheed, Head of Women’s Football at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, described the broadcast as a “revolutionary milestone” that will give Saudi women athletes global visibility.
The SSC AWSN channel will air a Saudi Women’s Premier League match each week during prime time, alongside a wide range of international women’s competitions, including UEFA tournaments and other women’s sports leagues.
George Chung, CEO and Co-Founder of AWSN, said: “Together, we are breaking traditional boundaries by providing global coverage of Saudi women’s sports while also introducing the Kingdom to an unprecedented number of international leagues and talented athletes.”
Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030, is seeking to attract greater foreign investment, diversify its economy away from oil, and strengthen the private sector.
Amil Lone, CEO of Saudi Sports Company, emphasized: “This partnership aligns perfectly with the Vision 2030 agenda and aims to give Saudi women’s sports a truly global platform.”
