In a groundbreaking move for women’s football, every match in the Women’s Championship will be broadcast live on YouTube starting next season. This decision marks a significant shift for the second-tier league, which will see all of its 132 fixtures streamed for free, a dramatic increase from the current arrangement where only one match per gameweek is shown.
The initiative will offer a much broader audience access to the Championship, with coverage being upgraded to include at least two cameras per match for enhanced production quality, compared to the single-camera setup typically used this season. The move is expected to be a game-changer in terms of visibility for the league and its players.
While Sky Sports retains the right to select certain Championship matches for live broadcast under its new five-year television deal with BBC Sport for the Women’s Super League (WSL), any games chosen by Sky will also be streamed live on YouTube. This guarantees that every Championship game will be available to watch for free, reaching a larger fanbase than ever before.
The production contract for the live streaming of these games is expected to go out to tender next week, with details still being finalized.
So far this season, 11 Championship matches have been streamed live, with the local derby between Sunderland and Newcastle attracting a remarkable 81,313 live viewers. This is a major leap in exposure for the league, as the previous coverage was limited to minimal live broadcasts.
The shift to YouTube follows a broader trend in women’s football, as the WSL’s matches not selected by Sky or BBC are also now available on YouTube, after the league management transitioned from the FA to a new governing body, temporarily named Women’s Professional Leagues Limited. Since this change, the online audience for WSL matches has seen impressive growth. For example, 271,502 viewers tuned in for Manchester United’s victory over Leicester City on November 17, surpassing previous high viewership figures.
Next season, fans can expect unprecedented access to all Women’s Championship matches, marking a new chapter for the league’s exposure and growth.
