Disney+ Secures Exclusive Rights to UEFA Women’s Champions League in Pan-European Broadcast Breakthrough.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: UEFA via Getty

From October 2025, every match of the UEFA Women’s Champions League will stream live on Disney+, marking a transformative moment in the broadcasting of women’s football across Europe.

In a strategic five-year agreement running from the 2025/26 to 2029/30 seasons, The Walt Disney Company has secured exclusive live rights to the competition, making Disney+ the sole platform where fans across Europe can access all 75 matches – at no additional cost to subscribers.

A Platform Shift with Strategic Weight Disney+ UEFA Women’s Champions League

This deal does more than shift broadcasting rights – it signals a structural reconfiguration of how women’s football is distributed and monetised across key European markets. With the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) set to launch its new 18-team League phase format, Disney+ positions itself not just as a streamer, but as an emerging force in sports media.

All live production will be handled by ESPN, with multilingual commentary, as well as full pre- and post-match programming – bringing the production value associated with men’s football directly to the UWCL.

This marks the first time a global entertainment platform with a broad family-focused portfolio has made top-tier women’s club football a content cornerstone. It’s also the latest move in Disney’s European football push, following its coverage of the UEFA Europa and Conference League in Scandinavia.

Football Meets Franchise: Disney’s Multi-Layered Strategy

This is not Disney’s first interaction with UEFA. Since 2020, the UEFA Playmakers programme – inspired by Disney storytelling – has helped over 132,000 girls aged 5–8 engage with football through fun, character-driven sessions. Operated in over 6,300 centres across 46 countries, the programme’s recent extension to 2027 solidifies Disney’s grassroots role.

From youth development to top-flight visibility, the partnership with UEFA creates a 360° brand loop: early engagement, aspirational heroes, and now live access to elite competition. It's classic ecosystem thinking, executed through a media lens.

Exposure Meets Monetisation Potential

At a time when women’s football is setting new attendance and viewership records, this deal enables Disney to own the pipeline – from reach to retention. Crucially, Disney+ has introduced a new subscription model with ad-supported and ad-free tiers, including a £4.99/month plan. This positions the platform to scale viewership while capturing new advertising revenue tied to live sports content.

Karl Holmes, General Manager of Disney+ EMEA, underlined this alignment:

“Bringing this incredible tournament to Disney+ customers and audiences speaks to our commitment to delivering a huge range of bold and dynamic entertainment.”

A Vote of Confidence in the Women’s Game

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-Managing Director at UC3 (UEFA’s media agency), commented:

“These new broadcast deals not only reflect [women’s football's growth] but are important milestones in the continued development of the game.”

Indeed, while the sports media rights market remains highly fragmented, Disney’s pan-European sweep here is unusual – and indicative of the increasing commercial weight behind women’s competitions.