The Women's Super League (WSL) has secured a record-breaking £65 million domestic rights renewal with broadcasting giants Sky and the BBC. This new deal, brokered by the Women’s Sport Group on behalf of the recently formed Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), will extend both broadcasters' rights to show top-tier WSL matches for another five years.
This agreement is hailed as "the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football in the UK & Ireland". The long-term contract will commence from the 2025-26 season and run through 2029-30. Including production costs, this deal is expected to exceed £100 million.
Sky, as lead broadcast partner paying a larger share, will showcase up to 118 matches. Of these, 78 WSL fixtures will be exclusively aired across Sky and Sky Sports channels including all matches from each season's closing weekend.
Nikki Doucet, CEO of WPLL, 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. 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.
“They provide excellent visibility coupled with first-class production values and we look forward to building on our partnership over the coming years.”
Expanding coverage and support
In addition to an increased number of broadcasts, Sky promises "unprecedented promotion and marketing support" for the league. The partnership also grants Sky options to air matches from second-tier competitions like the Women’s Championship and Women’s League Cup – marking their debut on this platform. The remaining games are divided between shared non-exclusive coverage on both WPLL's YouTube channel and Sky (34 matches), while seven games are set to be broadcast on both platforms along with BBC.
BBC plans live coverage of 21 matches including exclusive airing of 14 games via its linear channels plus seven shared broadcasts via its iPlayer streaming service and other digital platforms. Audio commentary of selected games will also be available every match week weekend through various BBC radio outlets.
A unique aspect of this new rights deal is that players are placed “at heart”. For the first time, in-game and post-game rights are granted to players for their use. This innovative approach is part of WPLL’s strategy to enhance player visibility and engagement.
Steady growth in women's football
This landmark deal follows short-term domestic rights extensions agreed by Sky and BBC with WSL for the 2024-25 season. Both broadcasters secured record audiences for their WSL coverage last season, reflecting a steady growth in women's football.
WPLL officially took control of the WSL and Women’s Championship from the Football Association (FA) body in August. Each club active in these leagues has become a shareholder in WPLL, which operates independently of FA but retains a special share giving it rights to eventual revenue portions.
The new broadcast deal is one among several major agreements struck by WPLL since taking control. It recently agreed on a three-year title sponsorship extension with global bank Barclays worth £15 million per season. English women’s soccer has seen significant growth recently – both on-field with national team successes at European Championships and FIFA Women's World Cup, as well as off-field through increased stadium attendance, broadcast viewership, and commercial success.
