The Women's Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) - previously "Newco" - is the new governing body for women’s football in England, launched on 15 August 2024. This means changes for how the game is funded - with a £20m interest-free loan from the Premier League - and owned - with each club in the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship (WC) now having an ownership stake.
But what does that mean for fans of the game? Things are still murky - even the company name will change again. Lots of discussions still have to take place before some of the big decisions are made, and the whole process will take time. Change won't come overnight.
However, here are some of the things that we know and what may change for fans of women's football in the future. (Prepare yourselves for lots of "coulds" and "maybes".)
This blog covers what's been discussed about...
A shift from the FA Player to Youtube
Ok, we’ll start with one that’s already confirmed. Non Sky/BBC WSL fixtures and the Women's League Cup (RIP Conti Cup) will be shown on Youtube rather than the FA player - although the FA player will still show Adobe Women’s FA Cup fixtures in the 24/25 season.
The FA player was a lot of people’s introduction to women’s football, as the FA Cup Final was historically one of the only times you could catch the game on TV.
However, a shift to Youtube is welcome news in light of the technical issues it would sometimes encounter - and the need to log in for every game.
The potential for the leagues to expand and include more teams
For the 24/25 season, the number of teams will obviously not change. We will still have the 12 team format. However, the future structure is still up in the air.
Emma Hayes previously called for an expansion of the league to 16 or 18 teams to increase the ‘unpredictability’ of games - and less predictable winners at the end of the season.
WPLL CEO, Nikki Doucet, shared that an expansion was "something we’ll look at" but that she "wouldn’t comment on that" at the time. So, watch this space.
Would you like to see an expanded league?
Yes
No
The option of closed leagues for the WSL and WC
Never say never, but Doucet has previously shared that “We’re (for) promotion and relegation.”
“100% (we support the protection of the pyramid),” she said. “That’s part of the proposal of NewCo and what all 24 clubs signed up for, so it’s not a closed league.”
The National Women's Soccer League in the USA is an example of a closed league, where the team that comes last in a given season does not drop down a league.
Would you like a closed league in the WSL/WC?
Yes
No
Future TV broadcast deals
The current broadcasting deal for the WSL with the BBC and Sky Sports comes to an end after the 24/25 season, having been extended for one additional year.
The current contract is worth around £8 million a year - yet that is expected to increase dramatically in line with the growth of the game, to between £15-20 million per season.
DAZN and other broadcasters are also interested, so there could be more paid subscriptions on the horizon for supporters that can’t make the games in person.
Saturday afternoon blackouts
Currently, there’s a TV blackout for football from 3pm on a Saturday afternoon (2.45pm-5.15pm), to encourage people to attend non-league games instead.
Arsenal was caught out by this rule last season, with the game vs. Everton not broadcast live (although it was available to watch back).
However, this may soon change as the future of the women’s game is considered. Karen Carney’s review highlighted that the 3pm slot could be used for women’s football.
ITV’s director of sport says: "If that was preserved for women's football I don't think it's going to impact the Premier League [or] the EFL (English Football League). I don't think it will impact the non-league pyramid [either]."
Do you think Saturday blackouts should apply to the women’s game?
Yes
No
Away ticket processes and ticket pricing increases
Minutes from an FSA x FA meeting in April 2024 highlight discussions on away tickets and ticket pricing.
For away tickets, could there be a crackdown on away fans purchasing tickets in home fan sections in our future? The “issues with communication and user journey when purchasing tickets” in the case of Arsenal vs. Everton were raised in the meeting. "Newco", as it was known then, said it would "clarify the ticketing process" for that game.
As for ticket prices, Chelsea’s ticket increases last season of up to 300% were highlighted as cause for concern. Chelsea have since dropped their prices again - suggesting that the increase in price didn’t meet their income expectations - and this will be a topic of discussion for the new governing body.
The WPLL highlighted that “keeping fans at the heart of the game is important” and that it aims to establish fan and player advisory boards.
Women’s football is getting more popular, so it will get more expensive. However, this is the chance to get it right, rather than making it unaffordable, as is the case in the men’s game. It will be interesting to see where these discussions lead.
Changing marketing in this new era of the women’s game
Doucet previously came under fire on social media for describing the "Glastonbury" type atmosphere of women’s games, which was deemed as diminishing the passion that women’s fans have.
However, I choose to believe that the comment was to reflect the "inclusive" nature of the game. Passion and rivalries can sit alongside inclusivity.
“The best way to describe [the difference with men’s soccer] is that it’s a feeling,” Doucet says. “The feeling of going to a sold-out Emirates with Arsenal Women versus a sold-out Emirates for the men are two different feelings. One is not better than the other, they’re just different."
Marketing of the game will change in relation to how it’s depicted for men’s football, to reflect the demographics of women’s football and capture the new audience, alongside traditional match-goers of the men's game.
“We’re at the stage now where we have to sell women’s football,” Doucet says. “I don’t think you have to sell men’s football in the same way. And we’re all learning what that looks like.”
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