Women's Super League inks YouTube deal as streaming home

Women’s Super League (WSL) officials have revealed a significant change in their broadcasting schedule ahead of the 2024/25 season. In the United Kingdom, league representatives previously announced that their domestic partnership would continue with Sky Sports and the BBC for one more year. As a result, the networks would share the broadcasting rights to exactly half of the WSL’s 132 league fixtures during the upcoming campaign.

The remaining 66 matches in the division were previously available on the FA Player. These games not on the aforementioned networks initially hit the Football Association’s streaming service from the 2019/20 season onwards.

These matchups are now transitioning to a new home. Every non-televised Women’s Super League game this season will be found on the league’s official YouTube channel. The move not only affects those in the United Kingdom but all over the world. These fixtures streaming on YouTube can be accessed by soccer fans from across the globe.

Along with official full-length matches, the WSL YouTube channel will also include additional game highlights and postgame interviews. The FA Player, however, is set to continue to be the home of the Women’s FA Cup competition.

YouTube has half of the Women’s Super League, Sky and BBC fight for the rest

The 66 WSL games on Sky Sports/the BBC in the United Kingdom do not split evenly. Sky Sports currently holds the rights to 44 of these fixtures. Subscribers of the network, as well as the company’s streaming service, Now TV, can access the matches. The BBC, on the other hand, has the rights to the remaining 22 WSL matches for the 2024/25 season.

“It is also a landmark moment for us with our transition to YouTube as our streaming service,” proclaimed WSL and Women’s Championship chief executive Nikki Doucet. “The FA Player has been a hugely important part of the growth of women’s football in recent years and the free-to-air reach it has afforded our teams has been crucial in our development.”

“Coupled with the high-quality coverage provided by our broadcast partners Sky Sports and the BBC, watching the women’s professional game here in the UK has never been easier. As we continue our journey into the NewCo, YouTube will offer even more supporters, both current and future, the opportunity to enjoy our amazing leagues at a click of a button.”

2024/25 WSL season starts with a mouthwatering matchup

The upcoming WSL campaign starts during the weekend of September 21. Highlighting these opening 2024/25 round of fixtures includes a matchup between Manchester City and Arsenal. The two teams finished the most recent campaign second and third in the table, respectively. They are two of the ‘Big Three’ in the division alongside Chelsea.

In addition to normally being a big game, the City-Arsenal matchup features Vivianne Miedema’s return to her old club. The star striker recently joined City from the Gunners as a free agent. Miedema is currently the league’s record goalscorer thanks to her time at Arsenal. She managed to net 125 goals and provide 50 assists in 172 total appearances for the north London side.

Reigning WSL champion Chelsea begins the campaign with a new manager. Former manager Emma Hayes recently joined the USWNT after collecting her seventh English title with the Blues. Sonia Bompastor will lead the team against Aston Villa on September 22 in her first league match at the helm.

PHOTOS: IMAGO