Sky Sports and BBC have announced a five-year extension for broadcasting the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The new £65 million ($79 million) contract will take effect from the 2025/26 season.
Lead broadcast partner Sky Sports will show 118 matches per season, 78 exclusively on Sky Sports platforms which includes every match from the final match week of each season until the 2029/30 campaign.
For the remaining matches, 34 will be shared non-exclusively between Sky and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited’s (WPLL) YouTube channel, with seven broadcasted on both Sky and the BBC.
Dana Strong, Group CEO of Sky, commented: “This is an incredibly exciting and significant moment for women’s sport. The longer-term partnership reflects our commitment to women’s football and provides the platform for us to keep working with the WPLL to bring in more fans, grow the game and create the most entertaining and competitive women’s football league in the world.
“As the home of sport, Sky is already by far the biggest investor in women’s sport in the UK and Ireland, and this new partnership further demonstrates our backing of elite female athletes. We look forward to telling their stories and inspiring the next generation of fans.”
In addition to the increased number of matches, Sky is committing to continue innovating within coverage and providing promotion and marketing support to the WSL.
The new partnership also sees Sky given the option to show matches from the Barclays Women’s Championship and Women’s League Cup, including the final. This brings both competitions onto Sky Sports for the first time.
The BBC will broadcast live coverage of 21 matches, including 14 exclusive matches on BBC TV and seven shared on BBC iPlayer and BBC digital platforms. Audio commentary of selected matches will also be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sounds and on local BBC radio for every match on weekends.
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “It’s great to see the WSL growing and growing, and I’m delighted that the BBC are carrying on as a partner on that journey.
“We remain the most-used sports broadcaster in the UK, providing unparalleled cross-platform coverage, so it’s brilliant to be able to continue bringing the WSL to audiences as part of our unparalleled free-to-air portfolio.
“With EURO 2025 and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 also around the corner, the BBC will continue to give women’s sport the platform to reach audiences across the UK.”
The WPLL has also stated that the broadcast deal will see player in-game and post-game rights being granted to its players for the for the first time in its deal with the Women’s Sport Group.
The UK women’s football league is experiencing a period of growth in attendance and viewing figures, with the new broadcast rights deal helping to fund and grow the women’s game even further.
WPLL officials pondered the thought of ending the 3pm blackout for WSL games as part of the new broadcast deal to help increase the viewing figures and exposure of the league. However, this came with many challenges and WPLL CEO, Nikki Doucet, stated that this was no longer an option.
Despite this, Sky and BBC will have been buoyed by the increasing viewing figures of WSL matches, with non-televised matches online also reaching record figures. Combined with the league recording record revenues, it is fair to say that the WSL and UK women’s football have never been in a more healthier position.
“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,” said Doucet.
“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.”
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