The announcement will see Cisco delivering connected experiences to two billion viewers, and the company says it will construct an all-female Cisco networking academy dream team to provide opportunities for the next generation of female engineers, who will support the network during the event.

Cisco will deliver a secure network that will connect the entire tournament ecosystem – from the venues to operations to administration to media – and power the delivery of the broadcast, which is anticipated to be watched by 2 billion people around the world.

An industry leader in connecting and protecting the largest sports and entertainment events in the world, Cisco will deploy its networking technology across nine host cities and 10 competition venues, a number of which are already built on Cisco infrastructure. In addition, Cisco’s network will connect the non-competition venues necessary to support the operation of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, including the International Broadcast Center (IBC), which will deploy Cisco’s IP Fabric for Media solution to allow for the secure and efficient delivery of 4K content to fans everywhere.

FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura said, “The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 will be a historic event, and we are thrilled to have another great company, Cisco, now on board as our Official Network Infrastructure Provider,” said FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura. “With Cisco's expertise and solutions, we will have a seamless and securely connected tournament experience.”

Cisco SVP and chief marketing officer Carrie Palin said, "The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is unequivocally one of the marquee global sporting events, and we are proud that Cisco can be the trusted provider to connect and protect the network on which the entire ecosystem will operate. In addition to being a fantastic showcase for how we are redefining the future of connected experiences, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting the game of football and using it as a platform to make a positive impact on players and fans around the world. We’re proud of Cisco’s role in enabling the connected experience for lovers of football around the world.”

Cisco’s support of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 continues the company’s commitment to connect more people and things and power a more inclusive future for all. As part of the sponsorship, Cisco will provide opportunities for members of its Networking Academy to assist with the installation and servicing of the network leading up to and during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with the creation of an all-female Dream Team. Since its inception in 1997, the Cisco Networking Academy has provided free IT educational courses and career growth opportunities for more than 17.5 million students around the world, while the prestigious Dream Team program provides promising, aspiring IT professionals with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to gain real, hands-on experience at some of the largest events in the world.

Today’s announcement builds upon Cisco’s extensive involvement across the global sports and entertainment landscape, where its industry-leading solutions and expertise are relied upon by some of the most prestigious events, organisations and venues around the world, including the Olympic & Paralympic Games, Super Bowl, McLaren Racing, Real Madrid F.C., SoFi Stadium and many more.