On Thursday, former England footballer Alex Scott stepped away from Disney+'s coverage of the Women's Champions League after two rounds of matches. The streaming giant is in the second season of a five-year deal to cover European football's flagship competition and this year introduced new formats, including a watchalong show with Scott alternating presenting duties with Shebahn Aherne. However, it has had some technical issues and been criticised for a difficult opening night that included an unscheduled advert break during Arsenal's game against HB Koge.
Scott has not said why she left this role but told BBC Sport she was "grateful" for the opportunities she had at Disney+ and hoped to "continue working together" in the future. But does her sudden departure highlight the challenges broadcasters face covering the women's game in an ever-changing media landscape? Ad break in Women's Champions League was unscheduled The explosion in interest in women's football during the past five years has been spearheaded by two of the biggest broadcasters in the UK – Sky Sports and the BBC.
In snapping up the Champions League before the 2025-26 season, Disney added its heft into the game, recognising its potential for capturing new audiences. Indeed, Scott herself has launched her own YouTube show this season, One More Word WSL, which she presents on a Sunday night alongside ex-England internationals Anita Asante and Fara Williams. Broadcasters have ramped up experiments with format, style and tone - Disney+ even had a dog on set during their coverage - but perhaps unsurprisingly, not every idea proves to be successful.
Journalist Carrie Dunn, who has covered women's sport for more than two decades, says opinions about coverage reflect a tension at the heart of the game. "The challenge broadcasters are finding is that they are not sure who the audience is," she says. "A lot of it is targeted at a new generation and it's clearly not for people who have watched women's football for longer.
"Often it's a resourcing issue. Budgets are being cut and you're finding the same presenters and the same pundits trying to be all things to all people. It just doesn't work." In the summer, the BBC announced its Women's Super League highlights show would not return for the 2026-27 season, but insisted it remained "fully committed to women's football".
To illustrate, it cited a bespoke new YouTube channel, the introduction of a debate show entitled The Women's Football Fallout, exclusively on BBC iPlayer, and the availability of clips and analysis on the BBC Sport website as evidence. The decisions are part of a move away from linear television that the BBC says reflects changing audience habits. It is a shift in emphasis that comes with difficulties.
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