Manchester City will kick off their campaign as defending champions of the Women's Super League by facing newly promoted Birmingham City, while the London City Lionesses will open the 2026/27 season against Manchester United in a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The full list of fixtures for the upcoming season has now been released, complete with kick‑off times and the first four weekends of broadcast allocations.
This year’s calendar is larger than ever, reflecting the league’s 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 90 percent of all WSL games live across its main channel and the NOW platform, amounting to 163 matches plus the end‑of‑season play‑off.
Selected fixtures will also be streamed on the dedicated Sky Sports WSL YouTube channel, giving fans additional ways to watch. The schedule also offers greater flexibility, with fewer games starting simultaneously, which should make it easier for supporters to follow multiple teams. The London City Lionesses, who secured the services of two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas during the summer transfer window, will make their televised debut on Friday 4 September when they travel to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United.
Two days later, on Sunday 6 September, champions Manchester City will host newcomers Birmingham City in what promises to be a high‑profile opening day that features five live matches across the weekend. Other fixtures on that first Sunday include last season’s runners‑up Arsenal travelling to Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur hosting a London derby against West Ham United, Liverpool taking on newly promoted Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace – who bounced back to the top flight at the first attempt – facing Everton. Chelsea, eight‑time league champions, will open their season at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 5 September when they welcome Aston Villa.
Fans are advised to use the Chrome browser for the most accessible video‑player experience. Manchester United will face a tough 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 play Arsenal on Saturday 19 September. Both of those games will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Arsenal will also host Chelsea on Sunday 27 September, another Sky Sports broadcast. The first Merseyside derby of the campaign will see Everton travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Sunday 27 September, with the encounter also televised on Sky Sports. Relegation will remain in force despite the league’s expansion. The team finishing in 14th place will be automatically relegated to WSL 2, while the club finishing 13th will enter a play‑off against the runners‑up from the second division.
Key fixtures and kick‑off times include: - London City Lionesses vs Manchester United, 19:00 – live on Sky Sports - Chelsea vs Aston Villa, 12:30 - Brighton vs Arsenal, 12:00 – live on Sky Sports - Tottenham vs West Ham, 12:00 – live on Sky Sports - Charlton vs Liverpool, 14:00 – live on Sky Sports - Crystal Palace vs Everton, 14:00 – live on Sky Sports - Manchester City vs Birmingham City, 14:30 – live on Sky Sports Saturday 12 September fixtures: - West Ham vs London City Lionesses, 12:45 - Manchester United vs Chelsea, 12:00 - Birmingham vs Brighton, 14:00 - Everton vs Charlton, 14:00 - Liverpool vs Tottenham, 14:00 - Aston Villa vs Manchester City, 18:30 - Manchester City vs Liverpool, 19:00 Saturday 19 September fixtures: - Chelsea vs Birmingham, 12:45 - Arsenal vs Manchester United, 17:30 - Brighton vs Aston Villa, 14:00 - Crystal Palace vs Tottenham, 14:00 - West Ham vs Everton, 14:00 Saturday 26 September fixtures: - London City Lionesses vs Brighton, 17:00 - Manchester United vs West Ham, 13:00 - Birmingham vs Crystal Palace, 14:00 - Liverpool vs Everton, 14:00 - Tottenham vs Aston Villa, 14:00 - Chelsea vs Arsenal, 16:30 The season will open on 4 September and run through to the final weekend on 22‑23 May, with a winter break from 21 December to 3 January. The play‑off is scheduled for the weekend of 29‑30 May.
Sky Sports’ mobile app now offers vertical video highlights, detailed match centres with live scores and statistics, and free access to all fans. Live streams remain a premium feature for Sky Sports subscribers, but match highlights from every WSL game are freely available on the Sky Sports website and app.
In addition, Sky Sports is launching a dedicated WSL YouTube channel, which will become the hub for live streams of selected matches, highlight reels, exclusive interviews and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the personalities shaping women’s football. Overall, Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, the English Football League, the Women’s Super League and the Scottish Premiership in the 2026/27 season, including 215 Premier League fixtures shown exclusively live. The broadcaster will continue its tradition of delivering the marquee games on Super Sunday at 16:30, as well as expanding its Friday and Monday night coverage, ensuring that fans can follow every pivotal moment from the opening whistle to the final whistle of each weekend.