The Premier League announced it would be rescheduling a key Manchester United fixture on May 18 to prioritise the Women’s FA Cup final, signalling a significant commercial milestone for the women’s game.
The upcoming Manchester United vs Chelsea match has been moved following a joint request from both clubs, allowing fans to watch the Women’s FA Cup final, where their women’s teams will go head-to-head at Wembley.
The men’s fixture – along with the rest of that weekend’s Premier League matches – had been scheduled to avoid clashing with the Men’s FA Cup final on May 17. However, United and Chelsea raised concerns that the timing would instead conflict with the Women’s final, prompting the league to amend the schedule.
Dean Akinjobi, CEO and Owner of Football Media, says the move is a “clear reflection of the commercial rise of the women’s game.”
Manchester United vs Chelsea is one of the Premier League’s most anticipated fixtures, and its selection for television broadcast further underscores Akinjobi’s point about the growing importance of women’s football, as broadcast commitments typically make rescheduling more challenging.
“[For the match] to be rescheduled, with all the domestic and international broadcast commitments that come with it, highlights the growing importance of women’s football,” he says.
“It shows how seriously both clubs are taking the development of their women’s teams and the value they see in investing in the women’s game from a commercial and strategic perspective.”
Chelsea has stood out as a leader when it comes to growing its women’s operations, with a restructuring of the club to ensure the women’s division had access to its own dedicated resources.
The club sold its women’s side to majority owners BlueCo earlier this year, though this move was criticised, with many viewing it as a tactical decision to circumvent the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability Rules
In the women’s ecosystem, the Women’s Professional League Limited has placed an emphasis on driving commercial growth, but it’s still in its infancy. This was a topic discussed at the SportPro Live event earlier this week.
However, this move is expected to make a significant impact on the commercial landscape, says Akinjobi. He believes that seeing a Premier League fixture rescheduled to accommodate a women’s final will validate the commercial potential of the women’s game.
Akinjobi explains: “It reinforces that long-term partnership investments in women’s football are not only impactful but are also aligned with a fast-growing and increasingly valuable sports property.”
Attendances in the women’s game are steadily rising, particularly at clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea. According to sports agency Two Circles, during the 2023/24 season, the Women’s Super League experienced a 41% increase in attendance.
A key driver of this growth has been the staging of selected women’s fixtures at larger-capacity men’s stadiums. These matches often benefit from scheduling that avoids clashes with men’s fixtures, giving fans the opportunity to attend both.
Growing crowds and shifting priorities
Akinjobi agrees, noting that the “audience crossover for the two matches is expected to be substantial.”
He recalls a relevant example from 2019, when Football Media partnered with West Ham United Women and their sponsor, ZO Skin Health. West Ham reached the Women’s FA Cup final that year, but the match clashed with the men’s Premier League game against Southampton.
Despite the club’s request to reschedule, the Premier League declined. Still, the women’s final drew a crowd of 43,264 and attracted a peak TV audience of 2.2 million.
“West Ham would have sold out their allocation at Wembley had the fixture change been granted,” Akinjobi says.
While such decisions may have once stalled the momentum of the women’s game, Akinjobi believes the Premier League is now beginning to understand its role in supporting its growth.
“The appetite for women’s football has never been higher, and this decision by the Premier League reflects that momentum,” he concludes. “It’s ironic to see a similar scenario play out differently now, and it’s a very proud and powerful moment for the women’s game.”
