WSL to establish regular Sunday noon slot next season for live games on Sky Sports
The fixtures for the 2025-26 WSL and WSL 2 campaigns will be released on Friday and, although the broadcast pickswill not be made until a later date, according to sources the previous, regular 6.45pm UK time slot on Sunday evenings will be ditched, after extensive feedback from fans and clubs, in favour of lunchtime games instead.
It is also understood there is a desire to trial more Friday night kick-offs regularly throughout the campaign, as the broadcaster and the league's operators, WSL Football, and the member clubs try to test and learn what slots work best to maximise both in-person attendances and television audiences simultaneously. The most common slot, however, will be Sunday midday after widespread consultations.
The league will also be hoping to capitalise on a boost in interest in the women's game after the England team's run to their third consecutive major tournament final, in which the Lionesses will meet the world champions, Spain, in Basel on Sunday.
The new WSL campaign will be the first of a new, five-year broadcast deal shared between Sky Sports and the BBC, which was agreed last October, but it is understood Sky will be showing 90% of the live matches. The value of the deal is undisclosed but the Guardian reported last autumn that the rights fee is worth approximately £65m across the duration of the five seasons, plus production costs, taking the broadcasters' total investment in the women's game to comfortably over £100m.
Traditionally, the majority of WSL matches have been scheduled for 2pm on Sunday afternoons but there is believed to be a desire to switch most live games to midday to create a regular slot and develop an 'around the grounds' narrative during matches, akin to the feel of a Saturday 3pm fixture list in English men's football.
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On Thursday, WSL Football confirmed a trial that allows fans to drink alcohol while in the stands is being expanded to include 14 WSL and WSL 2 clubs from the new season, including all of the top-flight's 'big four' teams. That follows a four-club trial that began in the second half of last season, enabling fans to drink from the stands at the second-tier clubs Birmingham City, Bristol City, Newcastle United and Southampton, in which 19 league fixtures were included. No safety incidents were reported from any of those games. A subsequent fan survey found that 66% were in support of the trial being permanently implemented, the league has said.
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