The Women’s Super League (WSL), English soccer's top-tier league, is poised for a transformative campaign with an estimated $10 million in domestic media rights revenue during the 2024-25 season, according to a new GlobalData report.
The report reveals that the league has secured 14 broadcast deals, including a renewed partnership with pay-TV giant Sky and public-service broadcaster BBC for linear rights in the UK. YouTube will debut as the primary streaming platform. Games not broadcast on TV will be shown for free on the WSL YouTube channel.
The broadcasters have retained their rights to show WSL games for another five years in what is claimed by the recently-formed Women’s Professional Leagues (WPLL) body as "the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football in the UK & Ireland."
Financial details of broadcast deals
The agreement with Sky and BBC is worth around $10.09 million for the 2024-25 season. Over five seasons, it's understood to be worth £65 million ($81.8 million). With production costs added, this total deal could exceed £100 million.
This long-term contract will begin from the 2025-26 season and run through until 2029-30. It was brokered by Women’s Sport Group on behalf of WPLL.
Manchester United are estimated to generate $305.35 million from sponsorship revenue this season while Arsenal could receive around $2.59 million in potential ticket revenue.
Barclays’ deal
Barclays' deal with WSL stands out as its largest sponsorship agreement based on annual value; it sees Barclays serving as title sponsor since its inception in 2019 till date. The current agreement, which began in 2022 and is worth a reported total $13.22 million annually, is set to expire at the end of this season.
In September, Barclays renewed that agreement in what WPLL called “the biggest deal in women’s domestic football history,” doubling its financial investment in the league. The deal reportedly runs for another three campaigns – 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28.
Manchester United ranks as the WSL side with the largest estimated sponsorship revenue for the 2024-25 season, closely followed by Manchester City. The largest deal out of these two clubs’ sponsorship portfolios is Manchester United’s kit supplier deal with adidas; it accounts for around 42% of their total sponsorship revenue for the season.
The GlobalData report underscores a significant leap forward not only for WSL but also women's soccer at large. With increased media rights revenues and record-breaking sponsorships deals on board, it's clear that women's football has entered a new era of commercial success.
