Sky Sports and the BBC have finalized a new five-year, shared domestic broadcast rights agreement to showcase nearly every Women’s Super League (WSL) match live on television starting from the 2025-26 season.
The financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, but sources familiar with the agreement indicate that the rights fee is approximately £65 million over the five seasons, with additional production costs bringing the broadcasters’ total investment to well over £100 million. Sky Sports is expected to contribute the majority of this investment, securing up to 118 live WSL matches per season, with 78 of these being exclusive to Sky. Additionally, Sky will have 75% of the first-choice picks for match broadcasts.
The BBC, on the other hand, has committed to airing up to 21 live matches per season, with 14 being exclusive to BBC television. The remaining seven matches will be shared between the two broadcasters. Any matches not selected for live television broadcast will be streamed live on YouTube, expanding the partnership with the streaming platform that was established this summer. This ensures that fans can watch all 132 games in a WSL season either on television or online.
Furthermore, there will be a significant increase in the number of Women’s Championship matches broadcast live on YouTube from next season. Although the BBC will not be showing Championship games live, Sky has the option to broadcast these matches if they choose to do so.
This rights deal marks the first long-term broadcast agreement negotiated by Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) since the company took over the management of England’s top two women’s leagues from the Football Association. WPLL CEO Nikki Doucet expressed her satisfaction, stating, “Agreeing the next cycle of broadcast rights was a priority for us, and we are fortunate to have two premium broadcast partners in Sky and the BBC who share our vision for the future and value of women’s football. The growth of the game is undeniable, and this deal is another positive step for fans, players, and clubs.”
The five-year deal is longer than previous WSL television rights agreements, aiming for stability and ensuring that the WSL enters the market for rights renewal before the men’s leagues, addressing a perceived disadvantage in previous negotiations.
As part of the new deal, players will be granted digital rights to share their own highlights clips on social media, a unique arrangement for the WSL that will help players build their personal brands.
The revenue injection from this deal is crucial for WPLL, which has received a £20 million loan from the men’s Premier League and funds from a new title-sponsorship deal with Barclays. This new television deal is essential for WPLL’s quest for financial sustainability in women’s football.
For comparison, America’s NWSL announced in November 2023 a new $60 million domestic broadcast deal with four major streaming and cable partners over four years, including production costs. The $60 million per-year rights revenue includes around $35 million to $40 million per year in value-in-kind through marketing and promotion, as well as production subsidies. The NWSL deal is shared between Amazon, CBS, ESPN, and the Scripps’ ION network.
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