L’Equipe, the French media outlet, has obtained free-to-air domestic rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL). This agreement ensures that fans in France will have access to premier European women’s soccer.

The multi-year agreement allows the L’Equipe channel to broadcast one UWCL game live per matchday, including the final. This solidifies the broadcaster’s commitment to showcasing top-tier women’s sports.

Notably,the media group recently broadcast the 2024-25 final between Arsenal and Barcelona,demonstrating its dedication to women’s soccer.

The L’Équipe channel will prioritize broadcasting matches featuring French clubs. OL Lyonnes, formerly Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, holds the record for the most titles in the competition’s history, with eight victories.

The deal was negotiated with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which represents free-to-air broadcasters across Europe. The EBU recently secured a package of rights from UEFA to manage free-to-air distribution of the tournament.

Through this rights package, the EBU will provide one game per matchweek to public-service broadcasters in nearly 30 European territories, including spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, and Sweden.

The EBU’s free-to-air streaming service will also provide highlights and additional content to supplement these broadcasts.

In previous years, the EBU has sublicensed major UWCL fixtures for its member broadcasters, ensuring broad access to the competition.

Disney+ holds the primary rights to the UWCL in Europe through a five-year deal, spanning from the 2025-26 season to 2029-30.

As part of the agreement with UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association, Disney+ will showcase all 75 UWCL fixtures each season across the region.

The 2025-26 UWCL campaign is set to kick off with the qualification stage on July 30 and will culminate with the final at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo in late May 2026.

The Growing Popularity of Women’s Soccer

“The L’Équipe channel will primarily broadcast matches of French clubs while they compete.”

The acquisition of UWCL rights by L’equipe highlights the increasing popularity and commercial viability of women’s soccer. As viewership grows, more broadcasters and streaming services are investing in the sport, providing greater exposure for the athletes and teams.