WSL Secures Game Changing £7M Tv Deal From 2021/2022 Season

On the 22nd of March it was announced that Sky Sports and The BBC will show a minimum of 35 WSL games live from September 2021. This three year deal is set to be the largest commercial deal for any women’s football league around the world. It will give clubs the opportunity to bring in more revenue and an unprecedented level of exposure to the league.

It is reported that up to 44 matches each season will be shown on Sky Sports, including matches on flagship channels such as Sky Sports Main Event. The BBC has the rights to 22 matches each season being shown across BBC One, BBC Two and the Red Button. All other games will continue to be shown live on the “ FA Player” which is free to download.

Sky Sports Managing Director, Rob Webster commented: “ We are delighted to add the Barclays FA Women’s Super League to our expanding football portfolio. Our goal is to bring our customers more of what they love, and we are certain the WSL will be a success with our football-hungry viewers.”

WSL Clubs are understood to significantly benefit from this deal. Clubs will get a share of the revenue consistently over the three years, something that has never happened in the history of women’s football in England. This deal not only benefits WSL clubs, but also Championship clubs. 25 percent of the generated revenue will be filtered down to the Championship. This is huge as the majority of the clubs in this league still operate part time, this will add sustainability and financial stability to some of the clubs.

With this added exposure brand investment and sponsorships could reach new heights within the women’s game. This multi million pound deal can only be seen as a positive for the future of women's football.