Manchester City will kick off their defence of the Women's Super League crown by facing newly-promoted Birmingham City, while the London City Lionesses have already opened the 2026/27 campaign 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 kick‑off times and broadcast allocations for the first four weekends. 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 matches live across its main channel and the NOW platform – a total of 163 games, plus the season‑ending play‑off. Selected fixtures 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 games will start simultaneously and viewers can enjoy a more staggered viewing experience. The London City Lionesses, who made headlines this summer by signing two‑time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, will launch the new season 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 welcome Birmingham City to a packed day of action that features five live matches across the broadcast window. Other fixtures on that opening Sunday include last season’s runners‑up Arsenal travelling to Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur hosting a London derby against West Ham United, Liverpool visiting newly‑promoted Charlton Athletic, and Crystal Palace – who bounced straight back to the top flight – taking on Everton. On Saturday, 5 September, eight‑time champions Chelsea will host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Fans are advised to use the Chrome browser for the most accessible video player experience. 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 meet Arsenal on Saturday, 19 September. Both of those games will be shown live on Sky Sports.
Arsenal, in turn, will host Chelsea on Sunday, 27 September, also on Sky Sports. The first Merseyside derby of the campaign sees Everton travel to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday, 27 September, with the match again televised by Sky Sports.
Relegation will remain in force despite the league’s expansion. The team finishing at the bottom of the table will be automatically relegated, while the 13th‑placed side will contest a play‑off against the runners‑up from WSL 2 for the right to stay in the top division. Key fixtures and kick‑off times 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) Additional match days are scheduled as follows: Saturday, 12 September: - 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 Saturday, 19 September: - 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 Saturday, 26 September: - 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 The season will officially kick off on 4 September and will run through to the final weekend on 22/23 May, with the play‑off scheduled for 29/30 May.
A winter break is slated from 21 December to 3 January. Sky Sports’ mobile app now offers an enhanced experience for fans on the go, featuring vertical video highlights, comprehensive match centres with live scores and statistics, and free access to all content for non‑subscribers. Live streams remain available for Sky Sports customers, while free‑to‑watch highlights from every WSL match will continue to be posted on the Sky Sports website and app.
Beyond traditional broadcasting, Sky Sports is launching a dedicated WSL YouTube channel. This platform will serve as the exclusive home for live streams of selected games, match highlights, in‑depth interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the personalities shaping women’s football today. 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.
With the return of the iconic Super Sunday 4:30 pm slot and expanded Friday and Monday night coverage, Sky Sports aims to deliver the biggest moments from kickoff to final whistle for fans of every competition.