- The five-year deal with Sky Sports and BBC is said to be worth £65m
- Including production costs the figure is over £100m
- WSL matches will be shown on Sky Sports, BBC and YouTube (latter two available to watch for free)
- Also, Premier League has loaned the WSL a £20 million loan
- Recently, WPLL signed a £45 million sponsorship deal with Barclays
Inside the WSL’s £65m domestic TV deal
The Women’s Super League (WSL) five-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports and the BBC is reported to be worth around £65 million.
The figure, combined with production costs, will see investment in the women’s game in England surpass £100 million. It’s a huge leap from the current deal which is estimated to be worth £7-8 million per year.
Starting in the 2025-26 season, nearly every WSL match will be available to watch on Sky Sports, BBC or via the official YouTube channel – a key move in bringing an international audience to the women’s teams.
Understanding the deal
Sky Sports will provide the lion’s share of the investment, securing up to 118 live WSL matches per season. Of these, 78 will be exclusive to Sky, and the broadcaster will have the majority of first-choice match picks (75%).
Meanwhile, the BBC will air up to 21 matches per season, with 14 games exclusive to BBC channels and seven shared with Sky.
Matches not selected for television broadcast will be streamed live on YouTube, ensuring fans can access all 132 WSL games online or on TV.
Additionally, the partnership will expand coverage of the Women’s Championship. YouTube will host an increased number of live matches, while Sky retains the option to broadcast Championship games if desired.
Shift for the WSL
The deal is the first long-term broadcasting agreement negotiated by Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), the organisation overseeing the WSL and Women’s Championship since its handover from the FA.
Unlike previous shorter-term deals, this five-year contract offers stability and ensures the WSL’s next rights tender will precede the men’s leagues—an advantage that was missed in past negotiations.
WSL players will also have the digital rights to share their own match highlights on social media, a unique feature that could help players build their personal brands.
The new deal follows news that the Premier League has loaned the WSL £20 million and only a month ago, the WPLL signed a £45 million sponsorship deal with Barclays – for both the WSL and Women’s Championship.
The new deal comes at an exciting time in the women’s game in England, with both leagues experiencing increased attendance and viewership. Having the games available on the BBC and YouTube is massively important as both are free to watch and the YouTube matches will be available for free for an international audience.
Having most of the WSL matches on Sky Sports is another massive boost, with the channel being the home to the Premier League, it will help expose the WSL teams to the larger fan bases of the Premier League teams.
Next step? The WPLL must keep pushing for a set day for women’s football – any day that’s not Sunday!!
It will prove harder for the WSL to get a set day compared to the other women’s leagues around the world due to England being the home of the Premier League – the most-watched sports league in the world. But evidence shows a set weekday for the women’s game will help bring in more viewership and even bigger attendances.
