English soccer’s top-tier Women’s Super League (WSL) is set to earn an estimated $10 million in domestic media rights revenue during the 2024-25 season, according to a new GlobalData report.
The Business of Women’s Super League 2024/25 reveals that the league is poised for a transformative campaign, marked by 14 broadcast deals, including a renewed partnership with pay-TV giant Sky and public-service broadcaster BBC for linear rights in the UK and YouTube's debut as the primary streaming platform.
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The league’s deal with Sky and the BBC are worth around $10.09 million for the 2024-25 season. WSL games not broadcast on TV will be shown for free on the WSL YouTube channel.
The broadcasters recently retained their rights to show the WSL for a further five years in what the recently-formed Women’s Professional Leagues (WPLL) body claims is “the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football in the UK & Ireland.”
The agreement is understood to be worth £65 million ($81.8 million) over the five seasons. With production costs added, the total deal is likely to exceed £100 million.
The new long-term contract, which will begin from the 2025-26 season and run through 2029-30, was brokered by the Women’s Sport Group on behalf of WPLL.
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By GlobalDataThe report also found that Manchester United are estimated to generate $305.35 million from sponsorship revenue this season. Additionally, Arsenal will receive around $2.59 million in potential ticket revenue.
Olivia Snooks, sport analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The transition of WSL streaming rights from FA Player to YouTube marks a significant milestone.
“Previously, FA Player played a pivotal role in the growth of women’s soccer in England, with its free-to-air accessibility enabling teams to expand and cultivate their fan base effectively.”
Meanwhile, the WSL’s largest sponsorship deal in terms of annual value is Barclays’ deal with the league.
The partnership sees the global bank serve as the WSL’s title sponsor. Barclays has been in the role since 2019 and the current agreement, which began in 2022 and is worth a reported total $13.22 million annually, is set to expire at the end of this season.
In September, Barclays renewed that agreement in what the WPLL called “the biggest deal in women’s domestic football history,” and entails the bank doubling its financial investment in the league.
The deal is reportedly for £15 million per season, and runs for another three campaigns – 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28.
This was the first commercial agreement unveiled since WPLL was officially unveiled as the governing body for top-tier women’s soccer in England, in mid-August.
In terms of club deals, Manchester United rank as the WSL side with the largest estimated sponsorship revenue for the 2024-25 season, closely followed by Manchester City.
The largest deal out of these two clubs’ sponsorship portfolios is Manchester United’s kit supplier deal with adidas, which accounts for around 42% of their total sponsorship revenue for the season.
Snooks concludes: “Both Manchester clubs hold huge commercial power across the global soccer market, and this is reflected in the WSL teams’ sponsorship portfolios.
“It is also worth noting that ahead of the 2024-25 season, all WSL clubs increased the volume of their sponsorship portfolios. This emphasizes the growing commercial value of both the women’s sides and the WSL in general.”
