Manchester City will kick off their campaign as defending champions of the Women's Super League by taking on newly promoted Birmingham City. This opening clash follows the London City Lionesses' inaugural match of the 2026/27 season, which sees them travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in a game that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The full fixture list for the upcoming season has now been released, complete with kick‑off times and television allocations for the first four weekends.
The league has grown from twelve to fourteen clubs after Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic earned promotion from the second tier, WSL 2. As a result, the schedule now includes more matches than ever before, with a greater spread of start times to avoid too many games overlapping.
Sky Sports has committed to airing 90 percent of all WSL fixtures live across its main channel and the NOW streaming service, amounting to 163 matches 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 broadcaster promises more flexibility in scheduling, meaning fewer simultaneous kick‑offs and a more fan‑friendly viewing experience. London City Lionesses, who made headlines this summer by signing two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, will open their season in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday, 4 September, against Manchester United.
Two days later, on Sunday 6 September, Manchester City will host Birmingham City in what promises to be a high‑profile double‑header featuring five live matches across the day. The remaining fixtures for the opening Sunday are equally compelling.
Arsenal, last season's runners‑up, travel to Brighton for their first match. Tottenham Hotspur host a London derby against West Ham United, while Liverpool visit newly promoted Charlton Athletic.
Crystal Palace, who bounced straight back to the top flight, will take on Everton. On Saturday, 5 September, eight‑time champions Chelsea will welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge.
The club’s continued dominance and the fresh challenge posed by Villa make this a marquee matchup for the early season. Fans are advised to use the Chrome browser for the most accessible video player experience when streaming matches online. Manchester United will face a tough second fixture, hosting Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday, 13 September. Their next outing will be an away game at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Saturday, 19 September, with both contests slated for live broadcast on Sky Sports.
Arsenal, in turn, will host Chelsea on Sunday, 27 September, another match that will be shown live. The league’s schedule also includes the first Merseyside derby of the campaign, with Everton traveling to Anfield to meet Liverpool on Sunday, 27 September. This rivalry, steeped in history, will be another highlight of the early season and will be streamed live on Sky Sports. Relegation will remain a feature of the competition despite the expansion.
The team finishing in 14th place will be automatically relegated to WSL 2, while the club that finishes 13th will enter a play‑off against the runners‑up from the second division to retain its top‑flight status. Key matches and kick‑off times for the opening weekend 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 The schedule continues with a busy slate of fixtures on 12 September, 19 September, and 26 September, featuring match‑ups such as West Ham vs London City, Manchester United vs Chelsea, Birmingham vs Brighton, Everton vs Charlton, Liverpool vs Tottenham, and a high‑profile showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool at 19:00. The season will pause for a winter break from 21 December to 3 January, before resuming for the final stretch in May. The concluding weekend of regular league play is set for 22–23 May, followed by the play‑off on 29–30 May.
Sky Sports’ mobile app now offers vertical video highlights, detailed match centres with scores and statistics, and live streaming for subscribers, all available for free to fans. 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 sole platform for live streams of selected games, match highlights, exclusive interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the league’s biggest personalities.
Across all its 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 on Sky Sports, the return of the iconic Super Sunday 16:30 slot, and expanded Friday and Monday night coverage, ensuring fans have access to the biggest games and defining moments from kickoff to final whistle each weekend.