Manchester City will kick off their campaign as defending champions of the Women's Super League by taking on newly-promoted Birmingham City, while the London City Lionesses open the season against Manchester United in a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The full slate of fixtures for the 2026/27 season has now been released, complete with kickoff times and broadcast allocations for the first four weekends. This year the league features more games than ever before, thanks to its expansion from twelve to fourteen clubs after Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic earned promotion from the second tier, WSL 2.
Sky Sports has committed to airing roughly ninety percent of all WSL matches live across its main channel and the NOW streaming platform – a total of 163 fixtures plus the end‑of‑season play‑off. Selected games will also be streamed on the dedicated Sky Sports WSL YouTube channel, giving fans multiple ways to watch.
The schedule has been designed with greater flexibility, meaning fewer matches will start simultaneously and viewers can follow more of the action without clashes. The London City Lionesses, who made a splash this summer by signing two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, will launch the new campaign on Friday 4 September, appearing before the Sky Sports cameras against Manchester United. Two days later, on Sunday 6 September, champions Manchester City will host newcomers Birmingham City in what promises to be a marquee double‑header featuring five live games across the day. Other fixtures on that opening Sunday see last season's runners‑up Arsenal travel to Brighton, Tottenham host a London derby against West Ham, Liverpool visit newly‑promoted Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace – who bounced back to the top flight at the first attempt – take on Everton.
Meanwhile, eight‑time champions Chelsea will welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Saturday 5 September. Fans are advised to use the Chrome browser for the best video‑player experience on the Sky Sports platform. Manchester United will face a challenging start to their season, with their second match scheduled at home against Chelsea on Sunday 13 September, followed by a trip to the Emirates Stadium to meet Arsenal on Saturday 19 September.
Both encounters will be shown live on Sky Sports. Arsenal, in turn, will host Chelsea on Sunday 27 September, also on Sky Sports. The league’s full fixture list includes a host of notable match‑ups: - London City Lionesses vs Manchester United, 7 pm, live on Sky Sports - Chelsea vs Aston Villa, 12.30 pm - Brighton vs Arsenal, 12 pm, live on Sky Sports - Tottenham vs West Ham, 12 pm, live on Sky Sports - Charlton vs Liverpool, 2 pm, live on Sky Sports - Crystal Palace vs Everton, 2 pm, live on Sky Sports - Manchester City vs Birmingham City, 2.30 pm, live on Sky Sports Additional fixtures for the early weeks are as follows: Saturday 12 September: * West Ham vs London City – 12.45 pm * Manchester United vs Chelsea – 12 pm * Birmingham vs Brighton – 2 pm * Everton vs Charlton – 2 pm * Liverpool vs Tottenham – 2 pm * Aston Villa vs Manchester City – 6.30 pm * Manchester City vs Liverpool – 7 pm Saturday 19 September: * Chelsea vs Birmingham – 12.45 pm * Arsenal vs Manchester United – 5.30 pm * Brighton vs Aston Villa – 2 pm * Crystal Palace vs Tottenham – 2 pm * West Ham vs Everton – 2 pm Saturday 26 September: * London City vs Brighton – 5 pm * Manchester United vs West Ham – 1 pm * Birmingham vs Crystal Palace – 2 pm * Liverpool vs Everton – 2 pm * Tottenham vs Aston Villa – 2 pm * Chelsea vs Arsenal – 4.30 pm Key dates to note: - Opening weekend begins on 4 September - A winter break runs from 21 December to 3 January - The final round of fixtures is slated for the weekend of 22/23 May - The promotion/relegation play‑off will be contested on 29/30 May Relegation will continue to be a feature of the competition despite the league’s expansion.
The team finishing bottom of the table will be automatically demoted, while the side in thirteenth place will enter a play‑off against the runners‑up from WSL 2 to retain their place in the top division. Beyond the live broadcasts, Sky Sports is enhancing the digital experience for fans. The Sky Sports app now offers vertical video highlights, comprehensive match centres packed with scores, statistics and player data, all available for free. Subscribers can also enjoy live streams of the matches they are entitled to watch.
In addition, every WSL game will have its highlights posted for free on the Sky Sports website and mobile app. To further support the growth of women's football, Sky Sports has launched a dedicated WSL YouTube channel.
This platform will host live streams of selected fixtures, full‑match highlights, exclusive interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the personalities and stories that make the league compelling. For the 2026/27 season, Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,500 live matches across its portfolio, which includes the Premier League, the English Football League, the Women's Super League and the Scottish Premiership. Among these, 215 Premier League games will be shown exclusively on Sky Sports. The broadcaster will also bring back the iconic Super Sunday slot at 4.30 pm, along with expanded Friday and Monday night coverage, ensuring that fans can tune in to the biggest moments from the first whistle to the final whistle each weekend.
Overall, the expanded fixture list, increased broadcast coverage and enhanced digital offerings signal a major step forward for the Women's Super League, promising fans a season rich with high‑quality football, compelling storylines and greater accessibility than ever before.