Australia’s Nine Network has expanded its growing football portfolio with a multi-year agreement to broadcast the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL), the top tier of women’s football in England. The deal continues Nine’s aggressive move into live soccer rights, positioning its Stan Sport streaming platform as a central hub for international football coverage.
Comprehensive WSL Coverage
Beginning with the 2025-26 season opener on September 6 — a marquee clash between reigning champions Chelsea and Manchester City — Stan Sport will air all 132 WSL matches live and on demand.
For Australian fans, the appeal extends beyond the league itself. The WSL features a strong contingent of Matildas stars, including:
- Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea)
- Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross (Arsenal)
- Mary Fowler (Manchester City)
- Clare Wheeler (Everton)
- Hayley Raso (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Katrina Gorry (West Ham)
- Charlie Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion)
This gives Australian audiences a direct connection to their national team heroes competing at the highest level of women’s club football.
Stan’s Expanding Soccer Rights Portfolio
Dan Taylor, Stan’s executive director, positioned the deal as a response to demand:
“The Women’s Super League is one of the most celebrated football competitions in the world, and fans have been calling for it to be shown on Stan. We’re proud to be giving Australians the chance to follow their Matildas heroes in action.”
The acquisition adds to Stan’s rapidly expanding rights slate. Earlier this year, Nine secured a sub-licensing agreement with Optus Sport, taking over the remaining three years of Optus’ six-season deal for the English Premier League(running through 2027-28), as well as rights to the FA Cup.
Stan’s football portfolio now also includes:
- UEFA club competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup)
- UEFA Women’s Euro
- National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
- Japan’s J.League and South Korea’s K League
- Germany’s DFB-Pokal
This positions Nine and Stan Sport as the dominant force in international soccer broadcasting in Australia, covering both men’s and women’s elite competitions.
Broader Sports Strategy
Beyond football, Nine holds rights to rugby union’s English Premiership, the Rugby Championship, and SVNS, alongside tennis’ Davis Cup, Formula E, the World Athletics Championships, and PFL mixed martial arts. The WSL deal therefore complements a diversified portfolio that targets both global events and growing women’s sports properties.
Strategic Outlook
For Nine, the addition of the Women’s Super League reinforces a clear commercial strategy: aggregate the world’s most prestigious football properties under the Stan Sport banner, with particular emphasis on women’s competitions that resonate strongly in the Australian market.
With Matildas players at the heart of the WSL’s appeal, this deal not only enhances Stan’s value proposition but also strengthens the cultural link between Australian fans and their overseas stars — a dynamic likely to accelerate subscriber growth and fan engagement ahead of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and 2027 Women’s World Cup.
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