The Women’s Professional Leagues Limited has signed a historic multi-year broadcasting deal with BBC and Sky for the WSL and Women’s Championship.

The new deal is worth £65 million over five years – a 60 percent increase from the previous agreement. 

Every match from the WSL will be broadcasted, with Sky showing up to 118 fixtures a season. The remaining 34 will be split between Sky and WPLL’s YouTube Channel, with seven broadcasted on both Sky and BBC.

The new partnership will also see the Women’s Championship and Women’s League Cup broadcasted on Sky for the first time – a major opportunity for clubs outside the English top tier to get the attention they deserve.

The deal marks the biggest-ever broadcast partnership in English women’s football, with £13 million a year being funneled into the growth of the sport. 

As the women’s game continues to grow, new broadcasting deals are pushing the sport forward and exposing top clubs and players to brand new audiences. Last year, the NWSL signed a similar deal with four American broadcasters worth $240 million over four years.

Giving both old and new fans more options to watch matches is crucial to expanding the leagues’ profiles. Since showing matches on YouTube, WSL viewing figures have more than tripled. 

The demand for women’s football has never been higher, and with everybody watching women’s sports the time is now to invest in the future.