Saudi Arabia Launches First 24-Hour Women’s Sports Channel

Saudi Arabia has launched its first 24-hour television channel dedicated exclusively to women's sports, called SSC AWSN, as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative. The channel, created in partnership with the Saudi Football Federation and the Saudi Sports Company, is available on the MBC Shahid streaming platform and will broadcast the Saudi Women's Premier League as well as international women's sporting events, including UEFA competitions. This historic launch marks a significant cultural shift in the Kingdom, where girls were banned from participating in sports in public schools until 2017 and women were only allowed to attend stadiums starting in 2018, reforms largely credited to Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. The Saudi Women's Premier League, which began in 2022 with players from over 20 nationalities, will now be accessible to fans worldwide. Officials describe the channel as a transformative milestone that will provide global recognition to Saudi female athletes and inspire future generations, while also contributing to the economic diversification goals of Vision 2030. The initiative was co-founded by Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg and represents the world's first global network exclusively devoted to women's sports.