WSL: How to Beat the 12pm Kick-off’s

With the women’s football stage getting bigger, we’re seeing more sponsorship, more visibility, and more corporate interest. But bigger doesn’t always mean better for fans. At the start of the 25/26 season, the WSL signed a five-year deal with Sky Sports that put 90% of fixtures behind a subscription paywall, leaving the BBC with around 8%. And with most games slotted into the 12pm Sunday window, the matchday reality becomes: Sky is paid access, kids at grassroots have clashes and can’t watch live, away days become harder, and if you’re the type to watch multiple games back-to-back, that’s no longer an option.

Investment from broadcasters like Sky is exciting. But right now, it’s also restrictive. The game is growing rapidly, yet access is shrinking. So if you’re feeling the impact this season, here are a few ways to still stay plugged into the WSL without burning through your time, money, or patience.

It’s All in the Apps

Multiple kick-offs no longer have to mean missing out. There are some genuinely great apps that keep you updated in real time when you can’t watch every fixture.

LiveScore and FotMob deliver instant goal alerts, assist info, live stats, commentary on major moments (saves, corners, cards, subs), and even player ratings as the match unfolds.If you’re only able to stream one game, these apps give you a surprisingly detailed sense of what’s happening everywhere else.

Getting the Gang Together

Photo Credit: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

If you can’t get to a stadium, or if you’ve just left one and want to keep the football buzz going, pubs and watch parties are becoming an essential part of the women’s football experience. 

Men’s football has always had a huge pub culture, but the women’s game is catching up fast. Many pubs around women’s stadiums now screen WSL fixtures, and with Sky’s multi-view channel, you can watch multiple matches at once. Apps like Fanzo can help you find out exactly which pubs are showing what.

Watch parties are popping up more often too, not for every game, but definitely for the big ones. Keep an eye on social platforms and event pages like Eventbrite for upcoming screenings.

Meticulous Planning

Photo Credit: Jeff Brown/BBC

If you frequently travel to away fixtures, planning ahead makes all the difference, especially now that early Sunday kick-offs are the norm.

Liverpool fans, for example, can take advantage of the club’s partnership with Expedia, which offers free coach travel to away games. If you’re heading to Arsenal vs Liverpool this weekend, it’s an early one, but a packed-out Emirates is worth the alarm.

Otherwise, treat yourself like you’re planning a mini holiday:

• Book train tickets early to save money

• Use split-ticketing apps

• Stick to direct routes where possible

• Factor in matchday traffic

• And yes, Manchester to London in 2.5 hours sounds long, but you’re almost guaranteed to find fellow fans on board for a pre-match hype chat

  
  

If you want to make a proper trip out of a 12pm kick-off, staying over can be more accessible than you’d think. Hotels and Airbnbs are often much cheaper just outside the town or city centre, and places like Travelodge and Premier Inn usually have really affordable rates if you book ahead.

Airbnbs are ideal if you’re travelling as a group, splitting the cost often works out cheaper than individual rooms, and it makes the away day feel like a full weekend experience.

We know this option sits more on the ‘treat yourself’ end of the scale, but if you only get to a match every so often, turning it into a little overnight trip can make it feel extra special.

We hope that these few tips and tricks can help you enjoy this WSL a little bit more, and give you your womens-football-fix. Sometimes it might mean having 4 live game stats popping up on your screen at a time, but by the end of the season we will be able to officially crown ourselves the champions of multitasking.