Barclays pens three-year sponsorship deal with WSL and Women’s Championship

Barclays has solidified its commitment to women’s football by doubling its investment through a new three-year WSL and Women’s Championship commercial deal with Barclays. This sponsorship agreement is reportedly valued at over £30 million, marking the largest financial boost ever for both English leagues.

This significant WSL and Women’s Championship commercial deal with Barclays follows recent developments in women’s football, including the transfer of ownership of the top two tiers of the women’s pyramid to a newly established independent company, Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL). CEO Nikki Doucet has expressed her goal to foster a more competitive and sustainable future for women’s football through collaboration and audience engagement.

Barclays first became the title sponsor of the WSL in 2019, making history with the largest brand investment in women’s sports in the UK. Since then, women’s football has experienced remarkable growth, with the WSL becoming the most followed women’s domestic league, amassing 3.2 million followers and seeing a 283% increase in average match attendance since the 2021/22 season.

In addition to this high-profile WSL and Women’s Championship commercial deal with Barclays, the bank has reaffirmed its dedication to grassroots women’s football by extending its partnership with The FA for another three years through the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships. This initiative aims to address the statistic that 64% of girls drop out of sports by the time they finish puberty, by working with schools to provide better opportunities in the sport. The program has grown from 3,000 participating schools in 2019 to 20,000 in 2024. Furthermore, Barclays will launch a new program to identify talented players in schools, connect educational pathways to football, and offer essential support to these players and their families.