{"id":1227,"date":"2025-05-23T00:53:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T23:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidelinesmag.co.uk\/?p=1227"},"modified":"2025-06-06T14:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:19:44","slug":"what-next-for-the-womens-champions-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/sidelines\/2025\/05\/23\/what-next-for-the-womens-champions-league\/","title":{"rendered":"New era for Women’s Champions League as competition moves to Disney+"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Lisbon prepares to host the UEFA Women\u2019s Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona, Sidelines spoke to broadcaster Kate Mason about the role of media in the competition\u2019s future<\/strong>. Disney+ has since been announced as the new rightsholders ahead of the 2025\/26 season.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since their victory over Ume\u00e5 in 2007, Arsenal have reached the Women\u2019s Champions League final. On Saturday 24 May, the Gunners will face off against Barcelona – hunting a third consecutive European title – but it will look very different to their famous victory in 2007, played out in front of just 3,467 fans at Meadow Park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sports broadcaster Kate Mason, who has covered women\u2019s football for more than ten years, is still awed by the change she\u2019s seen in the sport. She recalls covering Arsenal in the same competition in 2014: \u201cI was obviously absolutely buzzing to be involved in that sort of thing. But that didn’t really feel like how the rest of the world felt about it, so to go from that to sold-out games at the Emirates is unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mason, who currently works with The Metro and TNT Sport, explains <\/em>how covering the competition has changed. In the early days, she told Sidelines<\/em>, it was difficult to get \u201cunder-resourced\u201d clubs to support media activity and journalists and bloggers outside of the mainstream did a lot of work to support the game\u2019s growth. Now, the difference in coverage is \u201camazing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Kate Mason (@kvlmason)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n