This WSL season, we have seen some big shake-ups in broadcasting and kick-off times. Sky Sports has acquired the rights to show the WSL, which has injected significant funding into the league, though many fans are unhappy.
With more games being played at lunchtime to avoid clashes with the Premier League, this has caused anger, especially when it clashes with when children might be playing football.
It's a situation of they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If Sky did not take up this opportunity, they would be against the promotion of women’s football; when they do, and it doesn’t fit people's agenda, it's all wrong.
Let's not forget this is a massive investment in women’s football, something other leagues would love to have.
Let’s look at some of the issues raised by fans.
Many are unimpressed with the paywall, but at least one Sky Sports WSL game is available for free each week. It is not the main weekend game; it is a luxury, unheard of in the men’s game.
To grow the women’s game, it needs to be financially stable and independent of the men’s game. Sponsorship and broadcast deals are the primary sources of income in football. This five-year deal, worth £65 million, was a record-breaking, significant injection of funds into the league.
While the Sky Sports subscription is a significant investment, especially if you do not watch any other sport, the better option could be a WSL-only subscription, but that would be difficult because then people who want to watch F1 or tennis would want one as well.
While many ask for more on the BBC as a free-to-air, this is not financially sustainable. BBC will not pay the big bucks like Sky will, and it cannot compete with the sports’ bids
Kickoff time is a key issue now that it's earlier in the day, around 12pm, which can be difficult with transport, especially for away days. Plus, some girls who play football these days cannot easily attend matches.
This kick-off time is to avoid crossover with the Premier League, which Sky Sports also shows. This is also a scheduling and logistical issue. If the games were at the same time, the men’s game would attract a larger in-person and at-home audience. So, to reduce competition, play kick-offs at times not used on the men’s side to ensure balance and equal accessibility.
Plus, it is to prevent men’s and women’s games from being played on the same day and time, prevent fans from attending both games, and make it accessible to the entire fan base.
We saw this when England faced Brazil at the Etihad: it wasn't a sell-out, likely because there was only one train back to London after the game and because Manchester United men were playing in the Premier League at the same time.
And it does not look like the 3pm blackout on a Saturday will go away anytime soon, as Nikki Doucet, CEO of the new owners of the WSL, does not see it as an option.
In October 2025, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said the future of the blackout is up for debate.
"There are no more games outside of 3pm that aren't being broadcast," he said. "We are committed to it for the foreseeable future. It's not a decision we make alone.
"It's done in conjunction with other football bodies, the FA and the Premier League. But we're committed to it for the foreseeable future."
The Prince of Wales is among those who have criticised the ban.
Prince William, an Aston Villa fan and patron of the English Football Association, called the blackout "irritating" because it often prevents him from watching his side when he can't attend matches.
Sky Sports Halo might not have been the best move, but introducing the 11pm Sunday show to build up to the game is something that has never been done in the WSL
Some hate the multiview, but I personally love it. I watch games I wouldn't normally tune into on their own, and it's useful that the weekend isn't completely taken up by coordinating all the WSL games.
To also put into context, for the time being, the Women’s Champions League is behind a paywall on Disney, though this has not caused such an outcry.
Ultimately, it's a significant change that’s likely the issue people are facing. It increases visibility and has a majority of matches on a major broadcaster that can invest in the WSL's commercial awareness. It shows investors that the WSL is seen as a financially viable outlet.
A strong broadcast deal strengthens sponsorship, club investment, player wages, and overall professional infrastructure for the women’s game.
With broadcast investment comes better production (studio shows, social promotion, highlight clips), which improves supporter experience and league exposure.
A survey found that 53% of fans agreed they felt “priced out” of women’s games under pay-wall models.
However, the current data does not support this ideology. For Arsenal v Chelsea on Sky, the average home audience was 55,900, less than the stadium attendance.
Last season, the same fixture at the Emirates reached more than 700,000 viewers on free-to-air TV with the BBC. Which is not surprising, given that one is free and the other is not, and that there were likely more fans at the stadium this year than last.
Sky averaged around 337,000 viewers for WSL games last season. The BBC averaged around 682,000. Dropping to 71,000 for the league's headline match shows how much the current broadcast setup is struggling.
Though other data suggests there has been an uptake, Sky's audience is up 90% in reach and 138% in total viewing hours, with fans also watching for longer - average watch time up 26% compared to last season.
Even with fewer BBC broadcasts this season, average watch time is up 20%.
Ultimately, WSL on Sky Sports is not going away, though it would be greatly appreciated by fans if things changed and the WSL were not treated and dealt with the same as the Premier League, where fans are priced out.
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