In a groundbreaking move, Disney+ has officially entered the women’s football broadcast market, acquiring exclusive rights to stream every match of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) live for the next five seasons across multiple European territories, including the United Kingdom. This partnership marks a pivotal moment for both the sport and the streaming giant—one that could redefine how fans engage with elite women’s football and potentially set new benchmarks for men’s football broadcasting models.
A New Chapter for Women’s Football Broadcasting
The five-year deal, facilitated by UC3—a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA)—marks a significant escalation in the commercial and media visibility of the Women’s Champions League. It also signals a clear shift in strategy for UEFA and the clubs: leveraging streaming platforms with global reach to elevate women’s football to new heights.
Disney+ is expected to bring high production values and vast international exposure, building on the success of platforms like Dazn, which has shown UWCL matches for the past four years. Dazn’s strategy of free-to-air access contributed to a reported 71% increase in total watch time. Now, with Disney+ stepping in, the aim is not just to maintain that momentum—but to accelerate it.
A Fragmented Yet Flourishing UK Broadcast Landscape
With this development, women’s football in the UK now counts six major broadcasters:
- BBC and Sky – Women’s Super League (WSL)
- TNT Sports and Channel 4 – Women’s FA Cup
- ITV and BBC – England Women’s matches and major tournaments
- YouTube – All WSL 2 matches
- Disney+ – UEFA Women’s Champions League
While this diversity indicates strong demand and growing interest in women’s football, it also raises questions around accessibility. With fans potentially needing multiple subscriptions to follow all competitions, the financial burden could pose a challenge for broad audience engagement. That said, it’s understood some UWCL matches will still be available on free-to-air platforms in the UK.
Disney+ Follows Netflix into Women’s Football
This isn’t Disney+’s first major sports venture, but it is its boldest in football. The move comes months after Netflix announced its acquisition of US broadcast rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups—showing a growing appetite among streaming giants to secure premium women’s sports properties.
Disney+’s global subscriber base of approximately 125 million positions it uniquely to deliver unprecedented reach and influence over how fans interact with the UWCL. In addition to financial muscle, the platform reportedly impressed UEFA and club stakeholders with a compelling production vision, setting a new benchmark for how elite women’s football can be packaged and consumed.
Would a Successful Partnership Lead to a Shift in Men’s UEFA Football?
This deal could have broader implications beyond the women’s game.
If the Disney+ partnership proves to be commercially and culturally successful—driving engagement, global viewership, and brand growth—it may influence how UEFA and the ECA approach future men’s competitions. Could we see the UEFA Champions League (UCL) streamed exclusively via a global platform? Might clubs begin lobbying for more direct involvement in how broadcasting deals are structured and monetized, as seen through the UC3 model?
At a time when traditional broadcast revenues for men’s football are reaching maturity, streaming offers an alternative growth engine—particularly for reaching younger, mobile-first audiences. Women’s football, more agile and unencumbered by legacy contracts, might just be the testing ground that changes the playbook for UEFA as a whole.
IMAGE: Arsenal FC
