Disney+ is set to launch in October 2025, ushering in a new era for the UEFA Women’s Champions League with the debut of the 18-team League Phase format. Delivering more excitement, unpredictability, and high-stakes clashes from the League Phase through to the 2026 Final at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, all 75 matches of the competition will be streamed live exclusively on Disney+.
The new deal continues the growing momentum of women’s football, ensuring high-quality coverage and prominent exposure for football fans of all generations to enjoy. ESPN, Disney’s multiplatform sports brand, will produce all live matches for Disney+ with commentary offered in multiple languages, alongside pre- and post-game programming. Disney’s rich heritage in sports through ESPN brings 45 years of outstanding broadcasting experience across a wide variety of sports content, including major football, basketball, hockey, tennis tournaments, and more, alongside the recent launch of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League on Disney+ in Denmark and Sweden.
Since 2020, UEFA Playmakers inspired by Disney continues to inspire girls across Europe to kick-off a lifelong love of football. The programme, which uses the magic of Disney storytelling has now given over 132,000 girls aged between 5 and 8 an opportunity to make friends, have fun and develop fundamental movement skills. UEFA Playmakers is available in over 6,300 centres in 46 countries across Europe. Almost 8,000 qualified coaches deliver the sessions, many of whom are taking their first steps in the world of coaching. Following this strong success, the UEFA Playmakers agreement was recently extended until 2027.
Karl Holmes, General Manager, Disney+ EMEA highlighted how women's football is growing in audience reach: “The UEFA Women’s Champions League is the very best in football performance, dedication, and passion. Bringing this incredible tournament to Disney+ customers and audiences speaks to our commitment to delivering a huge range of bold and dynamic entertainment. As women’s football continues to grow with audiences worldwide, we’re proud to offer the thrill and excitement of every single match to Disney+ customers across Europe, at no extra cost," stated.
FInally, Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director, UC3 described the deal as a strategic step in continuing the development and visibility of women’s football across Europe: “The UEFA Women’s Champions League has seen exceptional growth in recent years, with record-breaking attendance, rising standards, and increasing global interest. These new broadcast deals not only reflect this but are important milestones in the continued development of women’s football in Europe, underscoring its growing importance and appeal to fans worldwide. We look forward to working with Disney+ and the Free-To-Air broadcast partners to continue to grow the women’s game in Europe," noted.
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