The highly anticipated 2026/27 Women's Super League campaign is set to kick off, with Manchester City beginning their title defence against newly promoted Birmingham City. London City Lionesses will commence the season with a match against Manchester United, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The league has expanded to 14 teams, with Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, and Charlton Athletic joining the competition after securing promotion from WSL 2.
Sky Sports will provide extensive coverage, broadcasting 90% of all WSL matches live, including 163 games and the play-off. The first four weekends of the season will feature confirmed kick-off times and broadcast picks, with a more flexible schedule allowing for fewer simultaneous matches.
The season will launch on Friday, September 4, with London City facing Manchester United, followed by a packed Sunday featuring five live games, including Manchester City hosting Birmingham City. Other notable matches on the first Sunday include Arsenal visiting Brighton, Tottenham hosting West Ham, and Liverpool travelling to Charlton.
Chelsea, the eight-time winners, will host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, September 5. The season will also see the first Merseyside derby, with Everton visiting Liverpool on Sunday, September 27, live on Sky Sports. Relegation will remain in place, with the last-placed team facing automatic relegation and the 13th-placed team competing in a play-off against the WSL 2 runners-up.
Key fixtures and dates include the winter break from December 21 to January 3, the final weekend of the season on May 22/23, and the play-off on May 29/30. Fans can follow the action on the Sky Sports app, which offers vertical video highlights, match centres, and live streams for Sky Sports customers. The Sky Sports website and app will also provide free-to-watch match highlights from every WSL game, while the new dedicated WSL YouTube channel will feature live streams, match highlights, exclusive interviews, and content showcasing the league's biggest personalities.