Nine Network, Australia’s commercial broadcaster, has continued its soccer rights spree with a new multi-year deal for England's top-tier Women’s Super League (WSL).
The deal will see Nine Network air all 132 matches of the upcoming 2025-26 WSL season live and on demand via its Stan Sport streaming service, with coverage starting on September 6 when reigning champions Chelsea take on Manchester City in the season opener.
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The WSL features several Australian stars that play for the Matildas national team, including Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea), Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kyra Cooney-Cross (Arsenal), Mary Fowler (Manchester City), Clare Wheeler (Everton), Hayley Raso (Tottenham Hotspur), Katrina Gorry (West Ham), and Charlie Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Stan executive director Dan Taylor said: “The Barclays Women’s Super League is one of the most celebrated football competitions in the world, and fans have been calling for it to be shown on Stan.
“We’re proud to be giving Australians the chance to enjoy the pinnacle of women’s club football and follow their Matildas heroes in action.”
The rights add to Stan’s burgeoning portfolio of soccer rights, which recently expanded via a sub-licensing agreement with Optus Sports, the streaming service of the Australian telecoms firm, which is divesting from its broadcast commitments.
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By GlobalDataThat deal saw it take over the remaining three years of Optus’ current six-season broadcast contract for the English men's top-tier Premier League, which runs through the 2027-28 campaign, and pick up rights to the country’s domestic FA Cup competition.
The agreement additionally covers the UEFA Women’s Euro, Japan’s J.League, South Korea’s K League, and the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League.
Those rights added to the broadcaster’s rights to all European soccer’s UEFA club competitions, including the top-tier Champions League, second-tier Europa League, third-tier Conference League, and UEFA Super Cup, as well as Germany’s top knockout soccer competition, DFB-Pokal.
Other rights in the country held by Nine include rugby union’s English Premiership, southern hemisphere Rugby Championship, and SVNS, tennis’ Davis Cup, and motor racing’s Formula E, World Athletics Championships, and PFL mixed martial arts action.
