Gary Neville’s Manchester-based production house, Buzz 16, has secured the contract to produce BBC Sport’s live Women’s Super League (WSL) Football coverage for the next three years. This is a significant achievement for the company co-founded by the former Manchester United star in 2016 and known for producing his popular Overlap shows.
Under this new agreement, the BBC will broadcast a total of 21 WSL games this season. Fourteen of these matches are set to be shown on linear platforms while the remaining seven will be available on iPlayer. This arrangement is part of a five-year rights deal that was agreed upon by the broadcaster in 2024.
The coverage will feature familiar faces from BBC Sport including Alex Scott, Jeanette Kwakye and Betty Glover as presenters. They will be joined by pundits Ellen White, Fara Williams, Steph Houghton and Anita Asante while Robyn Cowen and Vicki Sparks take up commentary duties.
Rising interest in women's football
The recently rebranded WSL Football enters into its new season amidst an unprecedented level of public interest in women’s football. This surge can largely be attributed to England Lionesses' successful retention of their European Championship title during summer.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said:
“If you loved the Euros this summer then you won’t want to miss the WSL. We’ve got live matches, highlights of every game, clips of the best match moments on social and discussion of all the biggest news on the Women’s Football Weekly podcast, all on free-to-air platforms. We’ve got an exciting season ahead of us!”
Additional coverage
In addition to Buzz 16’s live coverage, viewers can look forward to more women's football content from the broadcaster. The Women’s Football Show returned on Sunday September 7th offering highlights from every WSL fixture. Furthermore, digital highlights from each match will also be made available via both the BBC Sport website and app. Fans can also tune into the BBC Women’s Football Weekly podcast on BBC Sounds for more insights and analysis.
Gary Neville, who sold a majority stake in Buzz 16 to Miroma Group in 2022 but remains a co-owner, expressed his pride at this achievement.
Gary Neville, Manchester United legend and Buzz 16 co-founder, said:
“Well done to the team at BUZZ 16 on becoming the BBC’s WSL Production Partner.”
This partnership between Buzz 16 and BBC Sport promises an exciting time ahead for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike. It not only marks a significant milestone for Neville's production house but also signals growing recognition of women's football.
