German car brand Mercedes-Benz has expanded its investment into women’s sport with a new commercial partnership covering English soccer’s top two divisions.
The multi-year partnership was struck with WSL Football, the organizer of the top-tier Women’s Super League and second-tier WSL 2, and sees Mercedes-Benz named the new official automotive partner for both leagues from today.
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As part of the deal, Mercedes-Benz also becomes the presenting partner of the first-ever play-off match between the two leagues, with the third-placed WSL 2 club set to play the last-placed WSL team for a chance to secure promotion to the top tier at the end of the current 2025-26 season.
The play-off match comes as part of the WSL’s expansion to 14 teams for the 2026-27 season, with WSL to remain at 12 teams but become a fully professional league.
To reach 14 teams for the 2026-27 season, the top two teams from WSL 2 will be automatically promoted at the end of the 2025-26 campaign to expand the WSL to that number.
Then, the final WSL spot will be decided via a relegation play-off between the WSL’s 12th-placed team at the end of the 2025-26 season and the third-placed team in the WSL 2.
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By GlobalDataFrom the 2026-27 season, the last-placed – 14th – team in the WSL will be automatically relegated, while the 13th-placed side will face a play-off with the second-placed team in WSL 2 to earn a place in the top flight.
The deal comes as the WSL and WSL 2 prepare to resume their seasons after the winter break on January 10, when Arsenal plays Manchester United, and Southampton takes on Portsmouth, respectively.
Zarah Al-Kudcy, chief revenue officer of WSL Football, has said: “Partnering with Mercedes-Benz UK at this defining moment in the season reflects the scale, momentum and commercial potential of the women's game.
“Bringing a brand of this calibre into WSL Football as our official automotive partner will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues.”
The new deal adds to the German car brand’s recent sponsorship activity within women’s sport, having served as a patron of the Women’s Open golf tournament since 2024, and having become the top-tier premier partner of the Women’s Tennis Association through a long-term deal that started on January 1.
The women’s tennis circuit is now known commercially as ‘WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz,’ with the manufacturer set to invest $50 million per year into women’s tennis for up to 10 years.
Oliver Reppert, chief executive and managing director of Mercedes-Benz UK, added: “The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea that changed the world.
“Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football. We are proud to collaborate with WSL Football to inspire and engage the next generation of players and fans.”
WSL Football, meanwhile, has recently ramped up its list of sponsors during the 2025-26 season, most recently adding a significant new deal with technology giant Apple as it looks to elevate the game, with clubs and officials across both division receiving a range of branded products, including the latest MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iPad Air, alongside the new iPhone 17 Pro and the AirPods Pro 3.
Other commercial tie-ups this season include British Gas and Barclays, the league's title sponsor, in a deal running through 2027-28, while a significant extension to the property's existing tie-up with sportswear giant Nike was also unveiled.
On the media rights side, the WSL announced 13 new international broadcasters ahead of the 2025-26 season to expand its global presence.
Having engaged global sports and entertainment heavyweight IMG as the WSL’s media rights distribution agency on a multi-year basis, the organizers secured larger regional deals, including Azam TV (Sub-Saharan Africa), beIN Sports (Southeast Asia), Dubai TV (Middle East and North Africa), Fox (Mexico and Central America), and a pan-regional deal with women’s sports-focused streamer W-Sports.
The W-Sports partnership in particular covers the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Australia and Japan), the Caribbean region (with French-language commentary), and Sub-Saharan Africa.
It also covers France and the remainder of Europe, excluding the UK and Ireland, the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), the Nordic region, Israel, Italy, and Spain, all of which have deals in place.
Additionally, a host of single-territory deals were agreed.
In Europe, Belgium’s RTL, Dutch broadcaster Ziggo, Norway’s VG, and Spanish heavyweight Movistar cover the league, as well as the broadcaster SportKlub in both Croatia and Slovenia, while Italian pay-TV player Sky Italia has snapped up a highlights-only deal for the WSL.
In Asia, rights have been split in China between Migu, Hayu, and iQiyi, while in Japan, WSL will be shown by streaming service U-Next.
Australia’s Free-to-air Nine network and its Stan Sport service consolidated their soccer rights in the country with the WSL pick-up, while deals in Brazil with GOAT and X-Sports, Canada with media giant Rogers, and Israel with broadcaster Charlton, round out the WSL’s international broadcast mix.
