BBC cancels The Women’s Football Show ahead of new season
The BBC has axed The Women’s Football Show, its premier BBC One highlights programme for the Women’s Super League, just days before the new campaign kicks off on Friday, reports BritPanorama.
The corporation asserts that it remains wholly dedicated to covering the women’s game; however, the decision to discontinue the weekly broadcast — which had aired on Sunday evenings at 11.30pm following an earlier release on BBC iPlayer — indicates a significant shift away from traditional television coverage.
The programme, often likened to the women’s equivalent of Match of the Day, featured a studio format with a presenter and pundits analysing the weekend’s action. Its removal comes despite the BBC entering the second year of a five-year domestic broadcast rights arrangement with Sky Sports, which will run through to 2030.
Instead of continuing with a conventional highlights programme, the BBC plans to focus on its recently launched YouTube women’s football channel as the primary destination for match footage. According to reports, a new YouTube chat show featuring Alex Scott, the former England and Arsenal defender, is also in development.
The proposed show is expected to adopt a podcast-style format similar to Gary Neville’s widely followed Overlap show on Sky Sports. Current and former England internationals are anticipated to appear as regular panellists on this new offering.
This digital-first strategy aligns with the approach the BBC took during this summer’s men’s World Cup – forgoing nightly highlights broadcasts in favour of individual match packages published online and on iPlayer, which drew millions of viewers.
A BBC spokesperson defended the cancellation, stating, “BBC Sport remains fully committed to women’s football and the WSL. As we build towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, audiences will be able to watch highlights from every WSL match across BBC platforms, including iPlayer, YouTube, and the BBC Sport website and app.” They also noted that the corporation will broadcast 25 live WSL matches alongside live UEFA Women’s Champions League coverage.
Internal sources at the BBC have clarified that this decision represents an evolution rather than a reduction in commitment or investment. They argue that it simply reflects shifts in audience content consumption.
This cancellation is part of a larger realignment within BBC Sport’s output. Earlier this year, the corporation also ended Football Focus after more than fifty years, replacing it with The Football Interview, hosted by Kelly Somers. Additionally, Ski Sunday, another long-standing programme, has also been removed from the schedules.
These changes are linked to a broader programme of austerity imposed by new director general Matt Brittin, who has outlined plans to reduce programming budgets by £80 million across all areas, including television and news output. Reports suggest these recent cuts have left several BBC Sport insiders disheartened, with revelations about the cancellation coming as a genuine shock to staff.
The programme had been jointly funded by the BBC and the league, with WSL Football covering production costs while the BBC took care of on-screen talent.
Despite these developments, WSL Football reportedly remains satisfied with the BBC’s promise of enhanced digital coverage as the new season commences on Friday, when the big-spending London City Lionesses host Manchester United.
