With just over three weeks to go before the 2023 FIFA Women¡¯s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, Nadeshiko Japan supporters are focused not on how far their team will progress, but how they¡¯ll even be able to watch the games in the first place.
As its Group C opener against Zambia on July 22 fast approaches, Japan remains the only major market without a broadcaster for the tournament ¡ª a situation that, if not resolved, could limit fans to watching via FIFA¡¯s official streaming service. That would prove a complicated barrier for most casual viewers.
It¡¯s a scenario that could leave the country falling behind its peers in the Americas and Europe, where women¡¯s soccer is growing rapidly both in terms of on-the-pitch quality and commercial interest.
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