Starting with the 2025-2026 season, Disney+ will exclusively broadcast all UEFA Women's Champions League matches in Europe, marking a major step forward in the visibility of women's football. This five-year partnership, effective until 2030, will allow subscribers to follow the 75 annual matches, produced by ESPN, Disney's sports arm, for free.
A new chapter for women's football
This change of broadcaster, moving from DAZN to Disney+, coincides with an overhaul of the competition's format. Starting in October 2025, 18 teams will compete in a single league phase, with each team playing six matches (three home and three away). The top four will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the teams ranked 5th to 12th will compete in a playoff for the remaining spots.
Although Disney+ will become the primary broadcaster, one match per week will also be broadcast free-to-air in around 30 European countries, including France, via European Broadcasting Union (EBU) partner channels such as France Télévisions. This initiative aims to maintain broad accessibility and attract new audiences.
ESPN will produce the matches, offering commentary in multiple languages and pre- and post-match programming. This approach aims to offer an immersive experience to spectators and to strengthen engagement around the competition.
A strategic partnership for Disney
This partnership is part of Disney's strategy to diversify its content offering and become more involved in women's sport. Karl Holmes, Managing Director of Disney+ EMEA, emphasizes that this collaboration reflects the platform's commitment to offering a diversity of bold entertainment to its subscribers.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, Co-CEO of UC3 (a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association), considers this agreement a significant step in the development of women's football in Europe, highlighting its growing importance and appeal to fans around the world.
With this partnership, Disney+ is helping to strengthen the visibility and popularity of women's football, offering fans comprehensive and high-quality coverage of the UEFA Women's Champions League.
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