May 19 – The growth of women’s football in England continues to accelerate with the Football Association (FA) announcing the first-ever stand-alone broadcast deal for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The competition will air on TNT Sports and Channel 4 in the UK and Republic of Ireland from the 2025-26 season.
This landmark three-year agreement will significantly increase live match coverage, guaranteeing broadcasts from the 1st round through to the final.
Beginning in October 2025, TNT Sports will broadcast one match in both the first and second rounds, marking the first time these early stages will appear on television. Channel 4 will televise one match per round from the third round onward, with all six matches including the final co-exclusively available on TNT Sports.
Mark Bullingham, FA CEO, said: “This is a significant moment for the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. We have two broadcast partners who are deeply committed to growing the competition and taking it to new audiences over the next three seasons. Channel 4 and TNT are brilliant sports broadcasters and are the perfect combination for this very special tournament. We’re delighted to be working with them and look forward to continuing to grow women’s football together.”
Over the past five years, women’s football has experienced unprecedented growth in television viewership:
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final drew a peak audience of 12 million viewers in the UK, representing a 400% increase compared to the 2015 tournament.
Pete Andrews, Head of Sport at Channel 4, added: “We’re absolutely thrilled that Channel 4 will be bringing the excitement of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup to football fans across the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible talent and dedication of women’s football teams nationwide. By offering free-to-air coverage, we can reach wider audiences, inspire the next generation of footballers, and celebrate the rising prominence of women’s sport.”
Women’s Super League (WSL) broadcast viewership has tripled since 2020, with average match audiences growing from approximately 250,000 to over 750,000.
The 2023 Women’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United attracted a record 7.3 million viewers across BBC platforms, up 85% from the 2019 final.
Scott Young, SVP Content, Production and Business Operations, WBD Sports, said: “Welcoming the Adobe Women’s FA Cup to join the men’s competition on TNT Sports underlines our ongoing commitment to partner with and grow women’s sport across the sporting calendar – from football to rugby, cycling, tennis and more. Starting with our team of passionate football storytellers, TNT Sports is excited by the opportunity to showcase the full breadth and power of women’s football stories – from grassroots through to the elite level. We look forward to bringing the two competitions together and deliver an ambition to show more FA Cup coverage than ever before, to innovate in our coverage and promotion, and to give the women’s game a fantastic platform to reach millions of fans on TNT Sports.”
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