Sky Sports is ready to bring fans of the Women’s Super League (WSL) closer to the stars of the game and the match action with an enhanced viewing experience, kicking off this Friday [5 September] when champions Chelsea Women take on Manchester City Women.
The broadcaster is adding a flagship Sunday programme, new on-screen team, and greater access to the stars of the game to its coverage for this season of WSL.
With 90% of all WSL matches live on Sky Sports and Now, viewers will have greater opportunity to follow players and teams more than ever before. Showing 118 matches broadcast throughout the season, including every match at midday on Sunday, the broadcaster will launch a programme featuring all matches played at that time.
Fans can enjoy a 60 minute build-up to kick off featuring the latest news and team updates from every ground, plus more player-focused content than ever before. Presented from a new state-of-the-art studio, the show will deliver in-depth discussion and debate while tapping into the social conversation to create a new entertainment destination every WSL weekend.
This weekend, fans can choose from four live matches including a Merseyside derby as Liverpool Women face Everton Women. Elsewhere, Brighton & Hove Albion Women take on Aston Villa Women, Manchester United Women play Leicester City Women, and Tottenham Hotspur Women host London rivals West Ham United Women. For those wanting to keep an eye on all the action, Sky Sports will show all four games concurrently via Multiview, its new programme.
Launching this Sunday, Multiview moves from ground to ground covering all the goals and big moments, complete with one dedicated commentary team and half time analysis. The format will also be offered to Premier League viewers later this season.
Chief sports officer for Sky, Jonathan Licht, said: “This Friday we’re excited to be kicking off our new landmark partnership with the WSL. As the biggest stars of the women’s game are back in action, we’re ready to give fans the best possible viewing experience. With 90% of WSL matches live in one place, Sunday lunchtimes will become the WSL’s must-watch slot, with a new flagship show and a choice of live match viewing. Alongside all the live coverage, we will be expanding our content across social, welcoming more fans and keeping them entertained all season. Ensuring they never miss a moment.”
Former Aston Villa Women and Scotland captain Rachel Corsie joins Sky Sports as an analyst, bringing viewers insight and perspective from her recent playing career. This season also sees new additions to the on-screen team, with social reporters and women’s football superfans Rhyanna Parara and Alex Bailess covering the talking points from across social media platforms. They join fan-favourite Izzy Christiansen, presenter Caroline Barker and new lead commentator Ellen Ellard as part of the Sky Sports line up.
From this season, Sky Sports will serve women’s football fans even better on social with a new dedicated WSL YouTube channel. It will be the only place to find match highlights of every goal, streams of selected live matches, exclusive interviews and content showcasing the biggest personalities from across the league as never seen before.
The Sky Sports app also makes it easier than ever to follow the action on mobile with vertical video highlights, match centres packed with scores and stats available for free to all fans, plus live streams for Sky Sports customers. In more good news, the Sky Sports WSL podcast From Pitch to Pod returns, with Jordan Nobbs and Nikita Parris diving into the hottest topics surrounding women’s football each week.
Under the new five year rights deal, Sky will deliver three times more fixtures than ever before, including 78 exclusively live games and 75% of first picks. Fans can enjoy up to five live matches per week, plus coverage of every game on the final weekend, guaranteeing access to the biggest clashes and best storylines throughout the season.
This landmark WSL expansion coincides with Sky’s record breaking new Premier League deal, which guarantees at least 215 live matches each season. Combined with over 1,000 EFL games, and coverage of the SPFL and SWPL, Sky is the unrivalled home of domestic football, offering customers more matches than ever before.
