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 have already opened the 2026/27 season with a high‑profile clash against Manchester United, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The full fixture list for the upcoming season has now been released, complete with kickoff times and broadcast allocations for the first four weekends. This year the league features more matches than ever before, following 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 90 percent of all WSL games live across its main channel and the NOW streaming 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, offering fans multiple ways to watch. The schedule has been designed with greater flexibility, meaning fewer games will start simultaneously and supporters can follow more of their favourite teams. The London City Lionesses, who made headlines this summer by signing two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, will launch the new campaign in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday 4 September when they host Manchester United.
Two days later, on Sunday 6 September, champions Manchester City will meet the league newcomers Birmingham City in a marquee double‑header that will feature five live matches across the day. Other opening‑day fixtures include last season's runners‑up Arsenal travelling to Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur hosting a London derby against West Ham United, Liverpool heading to newly promoted Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace – who bounced back to the top flight at the first attempt – taking on Everton. 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 when streaming matches online. 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 an away trip to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal on Saturday 19 September. Both games will be shown live on Sky Sports. Arsenal will also host Chelsea on Sunday 27 September, another live broadcast.
The schedule also highlights the first Merseyside derby of the campaign, as Everton travel to Anfield to meet Liverpool on Sunday 27 September, with Sky Sports providing live coverage. Relegation remains in force despite the league's expansion.
The team finishing at the bottom of the table 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 to retain their top‑flight status. Key fixtures for the opening weekend include: - London City Lionesses vs Manchester United, 7:00 pm, live on Sky Sports - Chelsea vs Aston Villa, 12:30 pm - Brighton vs Arsenal, 12:00 pm, live on Sky Sports - Tottenham vs West Ham, 12:00 pm, live on Sky Sports - Charlton vs Liverpool, 2:00 pm, live on Sky Sports - Crystal Palace vs Everton, 2:00 pm, live on Sky Sports - Manchester City vs Birmingham City, 2:30 pm, live on Sky Sports The following Saturday, 12 September, the slate includes: - West Ham vs London City Lionesses, 12:45 pm - Manchester United vs Chelsea, 12:00 pm - Birmingham City vs Brighton, 2:00 pm - Everton vs Charlton Athletic, 2:00 pm - Liverpool vs Tottenham, 2:00 pm - Aston Villa vs Manchester City, 6:30 pm - Manchester City vs Liverpool, 7:00 pm On 19 September, more action follows: - Chelsea vs Birmingham City, 12:45 pm - Arsenal vs Manchester United, 5:30 pm - Brighton vs Aston Villa, 2:00 pm - Crystal Palace vs Tottenham, 2:00 pm - West Ham vs Everton, 2:00 pm The weekend of 26 September sees: - London City Lionesses vs Brighton, 5:00 pm - Manchester United vs West Ham, 1:00 pm - Birmingham City vs Crystal Palace, 2:00 pm - Liverpool vs Everton, 2:00 pm - Tottenham vs Aston Villa, 2:00 pm - Chelsea vs Arsenal, 4:30 pm Key dates for the season are: - Opening weekend: 4 September - Winter break: 21 December – 3 January - Final league weekend: 22/23 May - Play‑off: 29/30 May The Sky Sports app now offers an enhanced mobile experience, with vertical video highlights, comprehensive match centres packed with scores and statistics, and live streams for subscribers – all available for free to fans who simply want to stay updated. Full‑match highlights from every WSL game will continue to be posted on the Sky Sports website and app. In addition, Sky Sports is launching a dedicated WSL YouTube channel, the exclusive hub for live streams of selected matches, match highlights, behind‑the‑scenes interviews and original content that showcases the league's biggest personalities like never before.
Across all football properties for the 2026/27 season, Sky Sports will broadcast more than 1,500 live matches, covering the Premier League, the English Football League, the Women's Super League and the Scottish Premiership. This includes 215 Premier League fixtures shown exclusively live, the return of the iconic Super Sunday 4:30 pm slot, and expanded coverage on Fridays and Mondays, ensuring that fans can enjoy the biggest games and decisive moments from kickoff to the final whistle each weekend.