WSL Reports UK£8.2m Loss For 2024/25 But Expects Profitability This Season

Women’s Super League Football Limited (WSLF), the company that oversees the top two tiers of English women’s soccer, recorded an operating loss of UK£8.2 million (US$11.3 million) in its first year.

Key details:

• WSLF posts revenue of UK£17.4 million (US$24 million) for 2024/25
• Broadcast rights revenue was UK£8.7 million (US$12 million)
• Revenue from sponsorship and income was UK£8.5 million (US$11.7 million)
• Net liabilities were UK£2.4 million (US$3.3 million), with company holding cash balances of UK£10.7 million (US$14.7 million)
• UK£6.1 million (US$8.4 million) was borrowed from Premier League’s UK£20 million (US$27.6 million) interest-free loan agreement

Context:

The loss for WSLF, which was formed to take over responsibility for the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Women’s Super League 2 (WSL2) from the Football Association, reflects its position as effectively a startup company, with costs exceeding income. Losses were also driven in part by WSLF opting to maintain previous distribution levels to its member clubs, meaning it distributed UK£9.4 million (US$13 million) – more than half of its revenue.

Both broadcast and sponsorship revenue will increase in the next set of annual financial results covering 2025/26. It will be the first year of the WSL’s new rights deal with Sky Sports and the BBC, reportedly worth UK£65 million (US$90 million) over five years, as well as title sponsor Barclays’ three-year renewal, said to be worth UK£15 million (US$20.7 million) per season.

WSLF has also been boosted this season by new commercial deals with German car giant Mercedes-Benz, energy firm British Gas and tech titan Apple, alongside a renewal with its ball supplier Nike. The increase in commercial activity follows last year’s appointment of Two Circles as the exclusive sponsorship agency for the WSL and WSL2.

The improved broadcast and sponsorship revenue means WSLF is expecting to be profitable in its second year of operations. And while the organisation hasn’t yet used all of the funding available from the Premier League, it could pursue further borrowing to accelerate its growth plans. The Guardian reported in October that WSLF had commissioned investment bank Goldman Sachs and accountancy firm Deloitte to examine options for raising additional funding, with a loan believed to be the preferred route.

Credit: https://www.sportspro.com/news/finance-investment/wsl-revenue-loss-finances-broadcast-sponsorship-income-january-2026/