BBC lowers number of games, while Sky becomes senior partner with over 90% of fixtures

WSL Sky Sports

The BBC and Sky Sports have agreed five-year deals to continue broadcasting the WSL.

The number of games shown on TV will grow significantly from next season, driven by Sky Sports airing 118 games as senior partner in the deal - up from 44 currently. However, the BBC will actually show one fewer than it currently does, 21 instead of 22, with 14 on BBC TV and the others streamed on iPlayer and BBC Sport - down from 18 broadcast on BBC1 and BBC2 in the current deal. 

The BBC will also have digital clips from every game available on the BBC Sport website, app, and social media, as well as show the Women’s League Cup Final.

Sky’s total means it will have nearly 90% of the WSL’s matches - 78 of which are exclusive to the broadcaster. It also has the option to show the Women’s League Cup Final with the BBC, as well as the option to air Women’s Championship fixtures for the first time, and promises dedicated content on its WSL TikTok and Snapchat channels.

The BBC and Sky agreed the first ever commercial rights deal for the WSL in 2021, but only signed a one-year extension when that ended in the summer. This agreement will cover until the end of the 2029/30 season.

Women’s Sports Group advised the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, which runs the WSL, on this deal, with its directors David Kogan and Rachel Knight leading negotiations with broadcasters - as they also did for previous agreements. Women’s Sports Group describes this deal as a, “significant increase in value.”

Women’s Sports Group will now oversee an ITT process to appoint production partners for WPLL, led by director Steph Harries.

Nikki Doucet, CEO of Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, 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 Sports 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 Sports 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.”

Dana Strong, Group CEO, Sky, said: “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.”

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. 

“There are so many great players, matches and stories each season and this deal allows fans to enjoy them for free wherever they are, whether it’s clips on website, iPlayer and social media or the full 90 minutes on TV, radio and Sounds. 

“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.”

Knight and Kogan said: “We are delighted to have secured this game-changing deal for the WPLL, which boosts commercial revenue for the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship. This is an exciting next step in the continued growth of the women’s professional game and this agreement provides a fantastic foundation for a new era of the sport led by WPLL.”