In a landmark development for women’s football in England, Sky Sports is preparing to broadcast up to 50 additional Women’s Super League (WSL) matches per season, starting from the 2026–27 campaign.
This follows the WSL’s confirmed expansion to 14 teams, which will increase the season’s fixture list from 132 to 182 matches. With the growth of the women’s football pyramid now official, broadcasters are moving fast to secure deeper involvement in one of the fastest-growing products in sport.
Sky’s Ambition to Own the WSL Narrative
Under the new five-year deal beginning this summer, Sky Sports already holds rights to 118 WSL games each season, while the BBC holds exclusive rights to 14 games and shares seven additional matches with Sky. But with the expanded format on the horizon, Sky is keen to continue televising every single match, maintaining its comprehensive coverage model and offering unmatched consistency to fans and sponsors alike.
While financial terms around the extra matches haven’t been finalised, Sky is expected to cover at least the production costs — with further rights fee negotiations likely. According to The Guardian, Sky currently accounts for around £60 million of the record £65 million joint deal with the BBC, not including production and marketing spend, which pushes Sky’s total WSL investment well beyond £100 million.
This makes Sky not just a broadcaster, but a genuine growth partner of the women’s game in England.
Sky’s Expanding Football Empire
This move is part of a wider football content push by Sky:
- Premier League coverage increases from 128 to 215 live games starting next season
- Over 1,000 games from the EFL and Carabao Cup
- Expected future lobbying to show all Premier League games live, following European models
By integrating women’s football deeper into its programming ecosystem, Sky is ensuring WSL coverage becomes a core pillar — not a bolt-on — of its football offering.
What This Means for Rights Holders, Clubs & Brands?
- WSL is approaching commercial maturity. With 182 televised matches potentially available, brands can now build season-long campaigns with scale and frequency — vital for serious ROI.
- Broadcast power = fanbase growth. More games mean more visibility. Clubs need to upskill their commercial departments to package these new media touchpoints into sponsor-ready assets.
- Time to rethink women’s football media strategy. Rights holders and federations globally should look to the WSL as a blueprint for how media partnerships can fuel ecosystem-wide transformation — from grassroots to elite.
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IMAGE: Sky Sports
