YouTube deal helps WSL more than triple viewership figures

England’s Women’s Super League (WSL) is experiencing a major boost in viewership so far this season. Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, which began in September, the league announced a new broadcasting partnership. Sky Sports and the BBC retained media rights to half of the division’s 132 total fixtures throughout the season.

However, the other half of the league’s matches have found a new home. These 66 annual WSL games were previously available to stream on the FA Player. The FA’s platform is a free service that airs several English soccer competitions. Nevertheless, the WSL inked a deal earlier this summer with YouTube.

The move means that all 66 non-televised WSL matches can now be watched on the league’s official YouTube channel. Unlike league fixtures on Sky Sports and the BBC, soccer fans from all over the world have access to these YouTube games.

More than a quarter of a million people watched a recent WSL game

According to viewership figures obtained by The Guardian, WSL’s deal with YouTube is already paying off. The news outlet claims that the previous most-streamed WSL game on the FA Player garnered just over 78,000 views. This specific match was Arsenal’s home fixture against Bristol City during the 2023/24 season. The Gunners thumped their opponents by a score of 5-0 on the day.

While the current WSL campaign is still young, YouTube viewership is showing incredible growth. For instance, more than 250,000 people streamed a recent women’s match between Arsenal and Leicester in late September. The figure represents a new viewership record for a non-televised WSL match. Arsenal grabbed a slim 1-0 victory in the game thanks to a lone goal from Frida Maanum.

Overall, WSL matches streamed on YouTube so far this season have already reached over 1.5 million total views. This figure also only counts live fixtures and not match replays, which are also available on the media platform.

The impressive viewership total is also likely directly amplified by the fact that Arsenal has had two of their first three WSL games on YouTube. Arsenal women continue to lead the pack in fan interest among WSL teams. In fact, the Gunners previously had by far the most match-going fans of any team in the division last season.

Along with the massive viewership figures for the Leicester game, a recent WSL matchup between Arsenal and Everton also reached 148,000 views. The two teams eventually played out to a scoreless draw. The game, which was played at Emirates Stadium, was attended by over 25,000 fans.

Negotiations over the new WSL broadcasting deal continue

WSL’s deal with YouTube coincided with the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) taking over control of the division. The Football Association (FA) previously ran the professional women’s league. The WPLL is an independent, club-owned organization.

Strong viewership figures in the early stages of the 2024/25 WSL season are good news for the league and the WPLL. Sky Sports and the BBC are currently in their final year under contract to broadcast half of the division’s figures. Negotiations, according to The Guardian, remain ongoing between all parties but the WSL could likely see a significant boost in broadcasting revenue in the future.

Photo: Imago