Here’s a breakdown of the information provided in the text:
BWSL2 Season Kick-off and Key Fixtures:
The BWSL2 season is underway with several opening fixtures.
Birmingham City starts at home against Bristol City. A South London derby features Crystal Palace visiting Charlton.
Newly promoted Nottingham Forest hosts Newcastle United.
Portsmouth plays Durham at home.
Sheffield United faces Sunderland.
Ipswich Town makes their BWSL2 debut away at Southampton.
BWSL/BWSL2 Play-off:
The play-off between the bottom club of the BWSL and the third-placed BWSL2 team will be confirmed later.
It will be played on the weekend of May 22nd, 23rd, 24th, or 25th.
The play-off will be broadcast on Sky sports and the BBC.
UEFA Competitions and player Welfare:
The schedule for the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s Europa Cup is not yet known.
To ensure player welfare,league fixtures for Arsenal,Chelsea,and Manchester United in Round 5 (early October) have been scheduled for Friday or Saturday.
This principle of at least two clear days’ rest before potential european fixtures will be applied for any clubs continuing in UEFA competitions beyond October, meaning league fixtures may be subject to change.
New Broadcast Deal (Starting 2025/26 Season):
A new five-year broadcast partnership with Sky Sports and BBC Sport begins.
every BWSL match will be shown on either Sky Sports or the BBC. All BWSL2 matches will be available to watch live on YouTube.
Sky Sports and the BBC also have the right to select any BWSL2 match for broadcast.
This means every match from both the BWSL and BWSL2 will be available live for the first time.
Broadcast Scheduling:
Sky Sports intends to show a majority of BWSL matches at midday on Sundays.
Matches will be shown concurrently across Sky Sports channels,including Sky Sports Main Event,Sky Sports+,and the Sky Sports mobile app.
This consistent scheduling aims to provide regular viewing slots and build a unified narrative for the BWSL.
BBC matches will primarily be on Sunday afternoons, with some on Saturday lunchtimes.
Other Broadcast Slots:
Friday kick-off: 18:00 or later
Saturday kick-off: 12:00 (midday)
Saturday kick-off: 17:15
Sunday kick-off: 12:00 (midday)
Sunday kick-off: 12:30
Sunday kick-off: 14:00
Sunday kick-off: 14:30
Sunday kick-off: 16:30
Production Uplift:
All broadcast games on WSL Football’s YouTube channel will see an uplift in production.
BWSL games will increase from a single camera to four cameras.
BWSL2 games will increase from a single camera to a minimum of two cameras.
Broadcast Picks for the First Round of Fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City – Friday 5th september, 7:30pm KO, live on Sky Sports
Arsenal v London City Lionesses – Saturday 6th September, 1:30pm KO, live on BBC One
Liverpool v Everton – Sunday 7th September, 12pm KO, live on Sky Sports
Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa – Sunday, 12pm KO, live on Sky Sports
Manchester United v Leicester City – Sunday, 12pm KO, live on Sky Sports
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham united – Sunday, 12pm KO, live on Sky Sports
Team fixture Import:
Fans can sign up to ECAL to have their chosen team’s fixtures imported into their phone calendar via a provided link.
