May 6 – Sky Sports has secured exclusive broadcast rights in the UK for the upcoming London edition of the World Sevens Football (W7F) tournament, which will be staged at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium from May 28-30.
The three-day event is the first time the women’s seven-a-side competition has been hosted in England and will feature eight clubs from the Barclays Women’s Super League. Aston Villa, Everton, London City Lionesses, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have already been confirmed, with two further teams yet to be announced.
Sky Sports will cover all games and provide on-site presentation from Brentford’s Stadium which is two miles from the Sky Campus in Isleworth, west London.
Coverage will also be available via NOW as part of Sky’s ongoing agreement with the streaming site.
The deal adds another property to Sky’s growing women’s football portfolio following a record WSL season in terms of live coverage.
“We’re proud to be the unrivalled home of football in the UK and Ireland, with a long-standing commitment to investing in and growing women’s sport,” said Gary Hughes, director of football at Sky Sports.
“This partnership with World Sevens Football builds on the momentum of a record WSL season, which saw more live matches than ever before on Sky Sports. It delivers a fresh, fast-paced format that blends elite competition with entertainment and gives fans another exciting opportunity to watch the league’s biggest stars before the summer break.”
The W7F format is a shorter, more condensed version of the game, aimed at increasing tempo and accessibility, while offering clubs an additional competitive window outside the traditional calendar.
Chief executive of World Sevens Football, Sarah Cummins, said the partnership was a key step in expanding the competition’s reach.
“Partnering with Sky Sports to bring the World Sevens Football London Edition to fans across the UK and Ireland is a major milestone for us,” she said. “From day one, our ambition has been to reimagine how women’s football is experienced, making it faster, closer, and more entertaining while showcasing the incredible depth of talent in the game.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]