Brasileirão Feminino Opens With Expanded Field, Bigger Payouts and New Broadcast Deal

Overview

• The season kicked off on Feb. 12 with Mixto vs. Flamengo in Cuiabá, broadcast live nationwide by TV Brasil.
• The CBF expanded the top division to 18 clubs, increasing matches from 134 to 167 and extending the calendar to 23 dates.
• Prize money rose to R$2 million for the champion and R$1 million for the runner-up, with R$720,000 participation fees and R$20,000 per nationally televised game, and the two finalists will qualify for the 2027 Libertadores.
• A new partnership gives N Sports two games per round, totaling 34 first-phase broadcasts, starting with Bahia vs. Cruzeiro on Feb. 14 and Santos vs. Grêmio on Feb. 16.
• Structural fragility persists as Real Brasília and Fortaleza shut their women’s departments, opening A1 spots taken by Mixto and Vitória, while clubs such as Flamengo cut budgets and lean more on youth.