As women’s football continues to grow in England, the need for games to be streamed on major broadcasting networks has also increased to ensure that the sport remains accessible to all. Securing broadcast rights with major companies will help to preserve the future success of the women’s game whilst also aiming to increase its visibility.
With this in mind, a landmark five-year broadcast agreement has been secured for the top tiers of women’s football in England. Running through the 2029/30 season, this deal guarantees long-term financial stability for the leagues, paving the way for sustained growth and development.
This deal has been negotiated between broadcasting companies and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL). The WPLL took over responsibility for the running of England’s top leagues earlier this year and the agreement of a new broadcast deal was undoubtedly a key priority for the new owners.
As part of this landmark deal, BBC will show 21 matches across its platforms, with 14 exclusively on BBC television. Meanwhile, Sky will show up to 118 matches per season (78 exclusively), which is a huge increase from their current offering of 44 matches.
Furthermore, Sky also has the option to broadcast matches from the Women’s Championship and League Cup games, which is the first time that either of these competitions has been broadcast by Sky. This presents the Championship with an excellent opportunity to connect with a broader audience and grow its fan base significantly.
The remaining games will be streamed live on YouTube, allowing fans to access WSL games more easily than ever before with all games being available to stream on TV or online. Furthermore, this move away from the FA Player has already proved to be beneficial, with viewing figures more than trebling since WSL games have been broadcast live on YouTube instead.
The WPLL Chief Executive Nikki Doucet said:
“Agreeing the next cycle of broadcast rights was a priority for us and we are very fortunate to have two premium broadcast partners in Sky and the BBC who believe in the future and value of women’s football as much as we do.”
She went on to articulate the importance of the partnership between the WPLL and broadcasting companies:
“The growth of the game is undeniable, and this deal is another step in the right direction and positive news for the fans, the players and the clubs. Sky and the BBC are long-time backers and their contribution to the growth of the women’s game should not go without recognition.”
Select matches will also have audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sounds and on local BBC radio every weekend of match weeks. This added convenience will help to make the league accessible to a wider audience, as fans can listen to commentary if they are unable to watch matches live.
In addition, players will be given the right to post match highlights on their personal social media channels, further promoting the women’s game to a vast global audience.This will help both the players and the league gain traction across various social media.
Every WSL club has shares in the WPLL, so will benefit from the increased revenues that this agreement will bring. This could help clubs to agree on new contracts for players or have extra cash available to finance internal improvements.
The terms of this agreement will come into force for the 2025/26 season, after the conclusion of the 2025 Euros in Switzerland, which will help to further increase the visibility of the women’s game.
This record-breaking deal is reportedly worth over £65 million, which is a huge increase on the WSL’s current deal with these major broadcasters. This is a massive step forward which will only boost the growth of women’s football in England as it takes the broadcaster’s total investment to over £100m.
The remarkable growth of women’s football in recent years underscores that now is the perfect moment to establish these long-term agreements, ensuring the sport’s sustained success. We must seize this opportunity for exponential growth in England, securing the recognition and support that women’s football rightfully deserves.
Sources:
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/wsl-broadcast-rights-deal-sky-sports-bbc-live-games 2025-2030/#:~:text=Deal%20from%202025%2F26%20to,soccer%20top%20flight%20broadc ast%20live.&text=The%20Women’s%20Super%20League%20
