The Women's Super League is confronting a significant broadcast dilemma after its flagship fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea attracted a startlingly low television audience earlier this month.
A Dramatic Drop in Viewership
The highly anticipated London derby, which took place at the Emirates Stadium on 8 November, was watched by a mere 71,000 viewers on Sky Sports. The average audience on Sky Sports Main Event was just 55,900 – a figure lower than the 57,000 fans who attended the match in person. An additional 15,100 viewers tuned in via Sky Sports Premier League.
This represents a catastrophic decline from the previous season's corresponding fixture, which captivated an audience of 732,000 viewers. That match was broadcast free-to-air on the BBC and benefited from taking place during a men's international break.
The Problem with Saturday Lunchtime Kick-Offs
Multiple sources within the sport have pinpointed the Saturday noon kick-off time as the primary reason for the dramatic viewership drop-off. This is a major concern for the WSL, as the majority of its televised games this season are scheduled for lunchtime slots.
Under its £65 million, five-year deal with Sky Sports, which covers 118 live matches each season, Sunday at noon has been designated as the flagship broadcast slot. However, Sky has already broadcast five Saturday lunchtime games this season, a significant increase from just two over the entire previous campaign.
The earlier kick-off times are proving problematic for several reasons. They often clash with junior and grassroots football games, potentially alienating a core family demographic. Furthermore, the Saturday slot places WSL matches in direct competition with a live Premier League game on TNT Sports – which often attracts over a million viewers – and a full programme of EFL fixtures on Sky.
The Arsenal v Chelsea match, for instance, directly competed with the Premier League's Tottenham v Manchester United game, which kicked off 30 minutes earlier.
Broader Implications for the Women's Game
This television audience crisis feeds into a wider concern that the WSL is struggling to capitalise on the momentum from the England Lionesses' second European Championship win last summer. While the 2022 Euros triumph led to a surge in crowds and viewing figures, early evidence suggests this has not been replicated.
The average WSL attendance over the first six match rounds has been 6,500, with a report from the Women's Sports Trust indicating a 1% decline compared to the same period last season.
While Sky has cited a 30% increase in audience compared to last season's two Saturday noon kick-offs, the overall figure for such a marquee fixture – pitting the European champions against the domestic title holders – is widely regarded as disappointing. The league and its broadcasters will be hoping that more favourable scheduling can help recapture the audience that the women's game has worked so hard to build.
