Daily Mail: Every WSL match set to be broadcast live from next season

Story from Daily Mail:

Every Women's Super League game is set to be broadcast live from next season in a historic first for football in this country.

Mail Sport has learned that the WSL tender document issued to broadcasters this month features all 132 league games, with 56 to be sold exclusively and the remaining 76 available on a non-exclusive basis.

The WSL have not secured the 3pm Saturday slot demanded by Karen Carney in her women's football review as they have yet to get agreement from the Premier League and EFL to pursue a revision on the UEFA blackout, with Saturday lunchtime and Sunday afternoons remaining as the most common kick-off times.

In an attempt to gain an increase from the existing £7.75million-a-year deal the WSL have responded by making every match available for broadcast, which it is hoped will attract bids from beyond current rights holders Sky Sports and the BBC.

Under the terms of the existing deal that expires in the summer Sky broadcast 35 matches-a-season and the BBC 22, with the rest streamed for free on the FA's website.

Sky contribute around £7m of the current contract and during initial discussions are understood to have argued that the value of the WSL has not risen significantly despite the huge growth in interest in women's football, a view supported by their subscription and advertising data.

The WSL are understood to be seeking a new TV contract worth between £15m and £20m-a-year, and have reached the conclusion that their best way of doubling their money is to sell every game.

The strategy is similar to that which saw the National Women's Soccer League in the United States secure a remarkable £50m-a-year deal last year by selling packages to four different broadcasters.

The WSL's tactics also mirror those used successfully by the Premier League and EFL to secure bigger TV deals in recent years, albeit taken to extremes.

From next season a staggering 1059 of the 1891 matches in the EFL will be broadcast live on Sky, while from the 2025/26 campaign 270 of the 380 Premier League games will be televised live.

Sky are also televising every Super League fixture live for the first time in the new season which begins this week, although some will be shared with the BBC.

Sky and the BBC are set to bid again, while TNT and DAZN have also expressed interest in securing some of the packages.