WSL concerned as Arsenal vs Chelsea TV audience suffers huge drop from last season | OneFootball

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

The WSL is reportedly worried about early kick-off times on Sky Sports, after the recent Arsenal vs Chelsea match recorded a 90.3% fall in television viewers compared with the same fixture last year.

What were the viewing figures for Arsenal vs Chelsea?

According to a report in the Guardian, the Women’s Super League (WSL) clash between Arsenal and Chelsea only attracted 71,000 viewers on Sky Sports.

The average audience on Sky Sports Main Event was 55,900, with a further 15,100 watching on Sky Sports Premier League.

By contrast, the 1-1 draw attracted 57,000 fans inside the Emirates Stadium on November 8th.

The total of 71,000 viewers marks a steep 90.3% decline from the 732,000 who tuned in to the same fixture last season, when the match was shown on free-to-air BBC.

The bigger picture is equally concerning as the figure is well below the WSL’s average audience on Sky Sports last season (337,000) and even further behind the average of 682,000 achieved on the BBC.

Why did Arsenal vs Chelsea suffer low viewing figures?

The Guardian reports that the principal cause of the low audience for the WSL clash between Arsenal and Chelsea was the 12pm Saturday kick-off allocated by Sky Sports.

The game directly overlapped with men’s football, including Tottenham vs Manchester United at 12:30pm on TNT Sports and several EFL matches.

Last season’s equivalent fixture, by contrast, was played during a men’s international break with no competing live games.

Why do the majority of WSL games kick off at 12pm?

WSL fans have become frustrated by the number of WSL games that kick off at 12pm. Across the first 11 matchdays of the 2025-26 WSL season, 42 of the 66 have been handed 12pm kickoff slots.

This surge in early Sunday (and occasional Saturday) kick-offs stems from the new five-year, £65 million broadcast agreement with Sky Sports, which has increased the number of live WSL games from 44 to 118 this season.

Sky scrapped Sunday evening kick-offs as they were unpopular with match-going fans, despite getting good TV numbers.

The WSL also wanted to establish a regular time slot during which relatively little men’s football is played to help boost TV viewing numbers.

The majority of games take place on Sunday and are scheduled before the Premier League offering, which begins at 2pm.

What have fans been saying about the early kick-offs?

WSL fans have been critical throughout the season about the number of games that kick off at 12pm.

Manchester United fan Thomas Willoughby wrote on X: “WSL have been hammered by fans about the kick off times for about 4 months, but they keep alluding to some imaginary benefits to having *literally every game* kick off at 12pm on a Sunday. If you want more people watching, give people more to watch.”

Another fan on Reddit commented: “One of the biggest problems this season has been putting WSL matches up against each other. Making it impossible for people to watch multiple matches across the day. The most dedicated fans who are willing to watch 4+ WSL matches over a weekend are punished for this. Fans willing to watch multiple matches are the core audience you need to work with.

“BBC viewing figures show that there is a strong audience for WSL football but accessibility is a big factor in that.”

Reddit user Andy Vale added: “I feel like the Lionesses making huge waves over Summer, then shoving everything behind a significant paywall, has absolutely scuppered a big chance to grow the domestic game. There were many potential new fans there, but they aren’t going to start paying for a sports package on something they’re just dipping their toes into. The money is good, I get it, but it does put a cap on how many new people you’re going to get on board.”

Alessia Russo (right) scored a late equaliser for Arsenal during the 1-1 draw

Euro 2025 viewing figures

The viewing figures for Arsenal vs Chelsea – arguably the WSL’s biggest game – languish a long way behind that of Euro 2025.

England’s Euro 2025 final win over Spain was the most-watched televised moment of the year with a peak live audience of 12.2 million across all BBC platforms.

The semi-final victory over Italy also drew huge viewing figures on ITV.

Many hoped the Lionesses’ triumph would drive increased viewing figures for the WSL. However, the early signs from the new campaign suggest the combination of early kick-offs and reduced free-to-air exposure has so far prevented the WSL from building on that momentum.