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 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 broadcast allocations for the first four weekends. This year’s calendar is larger than any previous one, 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 streaming service, 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 multiple ways to watch. The scheduling model has been tweaked to provide greater flexibility, meaning fewer games will start simultaneously and viewers will have more options to follow their favourite teams.
The 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 face Manchester United. Two days later, on Sunday 6 September, the league’s opening day of action will reach a peak with five live matches, headlined by Manchester City hosting Birmingham City.
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 visiting the 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 welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. 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 play Arsenal on Saturday 19 September. Both encounters will be shown live on Sky Sports. Arsenal will also host Chelsea on Sunday 27 September, another match that will be televised. 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 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 ending the season in 13th place will enter a play‑off against the runners‑up from the second division. Key fixtures 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 programme for Saturday 12 September features: - West Ham vs London City Lionesses, 12:45 - Manchester United vs Chelsea, 12:00 - Birmingham City vs Brighton, 14:00 - Everton vs Charlton Athletic, 14:00 - Liverpool vs Tottenham, 14:00 - Aston Villa vs Manchester City, 18:30 - Manchester City vs Liverpool, 19:00 Saturday 19 September will see: - Chelsea vs Birmingham City, 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 includes: - London City Lionesses vs Brighton, 17:00 - Manchester United vs West Ham, 13:00 - Birmingham City vs Crystal Palace, 14:00 - Liverpool vs Everton, 14:00 - Tottenham vs Aston Villa, 14:00 - Chelsea vs Arsenal, 16:30 The season will officially launch on 4 September and will be punctuated by a winter break from 21 December to 3 January. The final round of fixtures is slated for the weekend of 22‑23 May, followed by the play‑off on 29‑30 May.
Sky Sports’ mobile app now offers a streamlined way to keep up with the league, featuring vertical video highlights, a match centre packed with live scores and statistics, and free access to all fans. Full‑match replays and highlights from every WSL game will continue to be available on the Sky Sports website and app at no charge. In addition, Sky Sports is launching a dedicated WSL YouTube channel.
This platform will become the exclusive home for live streams of selected matches, match‑day highlights, exclusive player interviews, and behind‑the‑scenes content that showcases the personalities shaping women’s football. Overall, the 2026/27 season represents a historic expansion for the Women’s Super League, with more clubs, more games and broader broadcast coverage than ever before. Sky Sports will broadcast over 1,500 live matches across its portfolio – including the Premier League, the English Football League, the WSL and the Scottish Premiership – with 215 Premier League fixtures shown exclusively live. The return of the iconic Super Sunday 4:30 pm slot, along with increased Friday and Monday night coverage, ensures that fans will have unparalleled access to the biggest moments in women’s football from the first whistle to the final whistle of each weekend.