English women’s professional football CEO Nikki Doucet has expressed her belief that moving the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship’s streaming platform to YouTube will significantly increase its global reach. Doucet has revealed plans to pay back the £20 million ($25.2 million) loan provided by the Premier League over the long-term. One of her primary objectives is to attract more owners to invest in clubs with the aim of raising revenue, a model demonstrated by London City Lionesses’s owner Michele Kang.
For the 2024-25 season, the WSL and Championship’s YouTube channels have usurped the FA Player as the main streaming service. All WSL matches not shown on television and select Championship games will be available to view globally on YouTube. The WSL’s broadcast deal, which was extended by a year by the BBC and Sky Sports and set to run out at the end of the previous season, can now be better leveraged with YouTube’s enhanced reach, Doucet hopes.
Doucet also mentioned the positive impact of YouTube on viewership. For example, a match between London City Lionesses and Newcastle United garnered around 55,000 views, significantly surpassing the maximum number of views on the FA Player which was roughly 4,500 last year. Doucet and her team are strategizing to get as much viewership as possible, and raise the value of these leagues to impress potential bidders when the media rights are up for negotiation again.
Concerning the 3pm television blackout imposed by UEFA to safeguard stadium attendances, Doucet has revealed that it is not currently a feasible option to exempt women’s football from this rule despite ongoing discussions. Prior to her appointment as WPLL CEO in November, outgoing FA’s Director of Women’s Football Baroness Sue Campbell had also been probing the possibility of the exemption to develop a regular audience.
The £20 million loan from the Premier League, confirmed by its CEO Richard Masters in January, is not interest accruing and is to be repaid when WPLL reaches an annual revenue of £100 million. Doucet justified the amount of the loan stating it is a “long term loan on favourable terms” and “right amount of capital” for the current state of the women’s game.
Doucet emphasized the importance of a long-term vision to attract investors, citing US businesswoman Michele Kang’s investment in London City Lionesses as a notable example. She said that investing in women’s football at its current stage requires a different risk profile and capital than investing in men’s football. It involves investors who have faith in the concept of community purpose, and are ready to invest even prior to substantial revenue coming in. They have to understand the long-term nature of the journey, as it’s not about immediate returns but about maximising value at each stage of growth.
