Disney+ to Stream Women’s Champions League Matches

Disney+ is gearing up to broadcast live women’s Champions League matches next season across various European regions, including the UK.

The platform is reportedly entering a five-year deal, which marks a significant advancement for coverage of premier women’s club competitions in Europe.

Other streaming services are venturing into women’s soccer, especially after Netflix secured US rights for the live broadcasts of the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups.

In the UK, Disney’s involvement adds a sixth major broadcaster for women’s football this season. It joins the BBC and Sky, which share rights to the Women’s Super League, while TNT Sports and Channel 4 have contracts to show the Women’s FA Cup. Additionally, ITV covers matches featuring the English women’s team. Moreover, all WSL 2 games are available live on YouTube.

This variety of subscription options might raise concerns among fans regarding costs. Still, there are indications that some broadcasts of the UK Women’s Champions League may be available for free.

Over the last four seasons, Dazn has been streaming the Women’s Champions League throughout Europe, with some matches also featured on TNT Sports in the UK.

Disney+ has reportedly put forth a competitive bid, both financially and in production quality, indicating thorough planning for its coverage. The platform boasts around 125 million subscribers globally.

The deal was struck by UC3, a new joint venture formed between UEFA and the European Club Association, allowing club representatives to participate in discussions about broadcast rights. Two different agencies were engaged to facilitate the transaction.

This announcement comes just before this year’s final between Arsenal and Barcelona in Lisbon on Saturday. Barcelona aims to secure the European title for the third consecutive year after defeating Chelsea in the semi-finals, while Arsenal reaches its first final since last lifting the trophy in 2007.

The Women’s Champions League will introduce a new format next season. While the team count remains modest, it mirrors the recent changes in the Men’s Champions League. The women’s competition will transition from a group stage with 16 teams to an 18-team league phase, followed by a traditional knockout round.

Next season, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United will represent the WSL in European competitions, as they earned spots based on their performance this year. Notably, Arsenal’s victory in 2007 remains the only instance of a British women’s club winning the European title.