ESPN just made a major power play for women’s soccer that will bring more games to the network and direct-to-consumer streaming service. The network has signed a five-year, exclusive multimedia rights agreement for the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) covering the 2025/26 through 2029/30 seasons.
ESPN will carry all 75 matches each season, plus the draws, highlights, magazine shows and archive programming, with Spanish-language coverage across the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and Sub-Saharan Africa. In many markets, the matches will stream on ESPN on Disney+, with selected games on ESPN’s linear channels and some knockout matches available through the ESPN app. That mix of linear and streaming coverage makes the UWCL more accessible to fans across devices and time zones.
The UWCL debuted a new 18-team League Phase for 2025-26, with the League Phase kicking off earlier this week. The season draws to a close next May in Oslo. Top European clubs — Arsenal (with stars like Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley), Barcelona (Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas), Chelsea (Naomi Girma, Catarina Macario, Sam Kerr), PSG, Lyon, Bayern, Juventus, Real Madrid and others — will be competing on a bigger, more globally visible stage. For fans and casual viewers alike, that’s more high-level action to tune into
“The UEFA Women’s Champions League is one of the most prestigious competitions in sport, with unmatched global reach,” said Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President, Programming Acquisitions, ESPN. “This agreement represents another key milestone in our ongoing effort to deliver the most compelling sporting events to fans everywhere. As we expand ESPN’s portfolio of women’s sports, we remain committed to elevating world-class women’s football for global audiences.”
But the UWCL deal is only part of ESPN’s playbook. The network is also expanding its domestic women’s soccer footprint after striking a rights expansion with the NWSL. With that agreement, the company adds 16 regular-season games a year on ABC and ESPN for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, which nearly doubles the league’s presence on Disney platforms. Additionally, the extension will introduce an NWSL “Match of the Week” as well as full Decision Day coverage. That boost raises the total number of NWSL matches on Disney platforms from 17 to 33 per season, giving U.S. women’s pro soccer far greater appointment-viewing exposure.
Added Guy-Laurent Epstein, UC3 Co-Managing Director, “We are proud to extend our collaboration with ESPN, a key broadcast partner that shares our ambition to grow the UEFA Women’s Champions League globally. This agreement will bring the competition to millions of fans across key international markets, reinforcing our commitment to expanding the global reach and impact of women’s football.”
For fans who love women’s soccer, this is a great moment. Disney is creating year-round storylines for women’s soccer.
The UWCL’s new format, ESPN’s distribution muscle, and the NWSL expansion mean more live games, smarter scheduling, and bigger narratives across continents. The sports will be in front of more eyeballs, and in turn, that could lead to more sponsorship interest. Additionally, more highlights and matches being showcased means women’s athletics will continue to get pushed into the mainstream and players can continue to be seen and celebrated.