ITV closes in on deal to broadcast Lionesses games

ITV is close to a deal that would add more women’s football to our screens, with the broadcaster understood to have held talks about acquiring the domestic rights to show England Women’s friendlies and qualifiers from next season.

The move would add a third major channel to the women’s game’s growing repertoire of backers, following quickly on from last week’s announcement of a new, three-year broadcast deal for the Women’s Super League, shared between the BBC and Sky Sports.

The BBC has been the home of England Women’s games for most of the modern era, with the exception of Euro 2017, which was shown on Channel 4, and the BBC has already obtained the rights to show next summer’s Euros, which are being hosted in England.

But after the corporation agreed to step up their WSL coverage with Sky next term, including regular live games on BBC One and BBC Two in a “landmark” deal believed to be worth £7million per year, sources have confirmed the BBC could now relinquish the Lionesses friendlies and qualifiers to ITV.

Next season will also mark the start of a new era for the England side as they will be under the management of Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman.

Meanwhile, former United States World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis and ex-wales manager Jayne Ludlow are leading contenders to succeed Arsenal’s Joe Montemurro this summer, after the Australian announced yesterday he would leave the club at the end of this season to spend time with his family.

Montemurro, who led Arsenal to their first WSL title in seven years in 2019, said he had wanted his decision to be made public so the club could “get the process going” of finding his successor.