The WSL’s Scheduling Gamble: Can Women’s Football Win the Broadcast Battle?
Just 71,000 viewers tuned in to watch Arsenal face Chelsea, a flagship fixture in the Women’s Super League, earlier this month. That’s fewer people than were at the Emirates Stadium. This dramatic drop in viewership, compared to 732,000 for the same game last season when broadcast on free-to-air television during the men’s international break, isn’t just a blip – it’s a warning sign that the WSL’s current broadcast strategy is facing a critical test.
The Noon Kick-Off Conundrum
The primary culprit? Scheduling. Sky Sports, the WSL’s main broadcast partner, has increasingly favored noon Saturday kick-offs. While part of a £65m, five-year deal for 118 live matches, this shift is proving problematic. The WSL is effectively competing for attention with a saturated sports schedule, going head-to-head with both the Premier League and the EFL. The Arsenal-Chelsea clash, for example, overlapped with Tottenham’s match against Manchester United, drawing viewers away from the women’s game.
This isn’t simply about direct competition. The noon slot clashes with grassroots and junior football matches, impacting families who are actively involved in the sport at a local level. It’s a fundamental conflict of interest, potentially alienating a key demographic of future fans and players. The WSL traditionally favored a 2pm Sunday slot, a time that allowed for greater visibility without such direct clashes.
Sky’s Strategy: Balancing Audiences
Sky Sports scrapped unpopular Sunday evening kick-offs, acknowledging their impact on match-going fans. However, those evening slots often attracted significant television audiences, benefiting from the overlap with Premier League viewership. The move to lunchtime games, while aiming to establish a consistent “flagship” slot, appears to be backfiring. Sky measures viewership over a 90-minute window, reporting around 78,000 for the Arsenal-Chelsea game, but even this figure is a concern.
Interestingly, Sky reports a 30% increase in viewership compared to the two Saturday noon kick-offs last season. However, this is a low bar, and the context – a match between the European and domestic champions – suggests a much higher audience should have been expected. The league is seeing encouraging growth in three-minute views and social media engagement, indicating a strong online presence, but translating that to consistent television viewership remains a challenge.
The BBC Factor and Scheduling Fragmentation
The BBC, with rights to 21 live WSL matches, also faces scheduling hurdles. A recent Chelsea-Manchester United fixture was broadcast on BBC Three and iPlayer on a Friday evening, a less-than-ideal slot for maximizing reach. The fragmentation of broadcast rights – Sky, BBC, and now TNT Sports – creates a complex landscape for fans to navigate, potentially diluting overall viewership.
Beyond Scheduling: A Missed Opportunity to Capitalize on Momentum?
The broadcast struggles come at a critical juncture. Following England’s Euro 2022 victory, there was a surge in interest in women’s football. However, early indicators suggest that momentum hasn’t been fully sustained. Average WSL attendance is down 1% this season, and Arsenal accounts for over a third of all ticket sales, highlighting a reliance on a single club to drive attendance figures. This raises questions about the league’s ability to broaden its appeal and convert newfound interest into long-term fan engagement.
The Women’s Sports Trust has highlighted the need for sustained investment and strategic promotion to capitalize on the Lionesses’ success. Their research consistently demonstrates the power of visibility and representation in driving participation and viewership.
Looking Ahead: A Need for Flexible Solutions
The WSL and Sky Sports need to reassess their broadcast strategy. A rigid adherence to the noon Saturday slot is clearly not delivering the desired results. Exploring more flexible scheduling options, potentially including a mix of afternoon and evening kick-offs, is crucial. Collaboration with the Premier League and EFL to minimize direct clashes is also essential. Furthermore, maximizing the reach of free-to-air broadcasts on the BBC remains a vital component of growing the game’s audience.
The future of the WSL’s broadcast success hinges on finding a balance between commercial interests and fan accessibility. Ignoring the current warning signs risks squandering the hard-won gains made in recent years and hindering the continued growth of this exciting and dynamic league. What scheduling changes would you like to see implemented to boost viewership? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
