BT Sport has chosen the first round of games for live broadcast ahead of the start of the new FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL) season.
The league returns to action next week [Wednesday 23 March] for its sixth season.
The first live game will be FA WSL 1 champions Chelsea’s trip to newly-promoted Doncaster Rovers Belles. Emma Hayes’s side will look to get their season off to a winning start against Glen Harris’s Belles team at Keepmoat Stadium with live coverage on BT Sport 1 from 7.15pm (7.45pm KO).
BT Sport live
Doncaster Rovers Belles v Chelsea
7.15pm, 24 March (BT Sport 1)
Manchester City v Arsenal
2.30pm, 28 March (BT Sport 1)
Arsenal v Chelsea
7.15pm, 21 April (BT Sport 1)
Sunderland v Manchester City
7.15pm, 29 April (BT Sport 2/BTEX1)
Notts County v Liverpool
3pm, 2 May (BT Sport 1)
Birmingham City v Reading
7.15pm, 19 May (BT Sport EU/BTEX1)
Chelsea v Sunderland
7.15pm, 25 May (BT Sport 1)
Next up is Arsenal’s trip to last season’s runners-up Manchester City on Easter Monday [28 March] as the two title-contenders look to make early ground on their rivals (3pm KO).
Following a break for the international window, which includes England’s UEFA Women’s Euros 2017 qualifying double-header against Belgium in Rotherham (Friday 8 April) and away in Bosnia & Herzegovina (Tuesday 12 April), BT Sport coverage resumes with a London derby. Arsenal host Chelsea at Boreham Wood FC on Thursday 21 April (7.45pm KO).
The following four fixtures are Sunderland v Manchester City on Friday 29 April (7.45pm KO), Liverpool’s trip to Notts County on Monday 2 May (3pm KO), Birmingham v Reading on Thursday 19 May (7.45pm KO) and Chelsea v Sunderland on Wednesday 25 May (7.45pm KO).
Katie Brazier, FA head of women’s leagues and competitions, said: “Our partnership with BT Sport is crucial to the success of the league, enabling us to build our fanbase and showcase just how entertaining, competitive and exciting The FA WSL is.
“These first games are set to be great examples of how strong our league is and how far the women’s game has come.
“We look forward to another year working together with BT Sport on the live coverage.”
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “Women’s football continues to grow in popularity and we at BT Sport are excited to be broadcasting our third season of The FA Women’s Super League.”
BT Sport is the lead sponsor and broadcast partner of the FA WSL and one of five women’s football commercial partners along with Continental Tyres, Nike, SSE and Vauxhall.
