Report: WSL 2024/25 to earn $10m+ domestic media revenue
November 22, 2024
The Women’s Super League (WSL) is poised for a transformative 2024/25 season, marked by 14 broadcast deals, including a renewed partnership with Sky and BBC for domestic rights and YouTube’s debut as the primary streaming platform. The league’s deal with Sky and BBC is worth an estimated $10.09 million (€9.69m) for the 2024/25 season. WSL games not broadcast on TV as part of the league’s deal with Sky and BBC, will be shown for free on YouTube on the Barclays WSL channel, reveals GlobalData, the data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, The Business of Women’s Super League 2024/25, reveals that Manchester United is estimated to generate $305.35 million from sponsorship revenue this season. Additionally, Arsenal is estimated to generate $2.59 million in potential ticket revenue for the 2024/25 season.
Olivia Snooks, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, commented: “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 fanbase effectively.”
The WSL’s largest sponsorship deal in terms of annual value is Barclays’s deal with the league. The partnership sees the bank serve as the WSL’s title sponsor. Barclays has served as the league’s title sponsor since 2019 and the current agreement, which began in 2022, is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season. The current deal is worth a reported total $13.22 million annually.
Snooks continued: “With the league’s title sponsorship deal set to finish at the end of the 2024/25 season, a new three-year agreement has been reached which sees the bank remain the title sponsor of the WSL, and the Women’s Championship. It is the first major contract secured by the WSL’s new takeover company, Women’s Professional League Limited (WPLL).”
Manchester United ranks as the WSL club 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 per cent of the club’s total sponsorship revenue for the season.
Snooks concluded: “Both Manchester clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, hold huge commercial power across the global soccer market and this is reflected in the WSL team’s sponsorship portfolios. It is also worth noting that ahead of the 2024/25 season, all WSL clubs have increased the volume of their sponsorship portfolios. This emphasizes the growing commercial value of both the women’s sides and the WSL in general.”