Every time Manchester City and Arsenal meet in the Women's Super League, the same thing happens in my group chat: three people open Peacock, one person scrolls a cable guide, and somebody asks whether it is on regular TV. None of them finds the match.
The short answer: in the US, the WSL has streamed through ESPN's streaming service (the one long known as ESPN+) since the 2024-25 season. It is not on Peacock, it is not on an over-the-air network, and you do not need a cable box. Rights deals do change, so check the ESPN app or the league's official site before a big match.
The rest of this guide is the misconceptions I hear most, corrected one at a time.
Myth: It's on Peacock, because that's where English soccer lives
Fact: The men's Premier League and the WSL are sold separately.
NBC and Peacock have the men's Premier League. That deal covers nothing on the women's side. The WSL negotiates its own US rights, and in recent seasons those have sat with ESPN.
So if you subscribed to Peacock for Haaland and Saka, you are covered when the men's teams play. When the women's teams play, Peacock will show you nothing, and a search there for the fixture mostly turns up the men's match.
Myth: You need cable, or at least a big live TV bundle
Fact: You need one standalone streaming subscription.
This is the part I like. WSL matches in the US have been streaming-only, so there is no channel to chase. YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV all run north of $80 a month these days, and none of them is required for this.
ESPN's standalone streaming plans come in two flavors:
- ESPN Select, the lower tier that took over from ESPN+, has been around $12.99 a month.
- ESPN Unlimited, which adds the actual ESPN cable channels, has been around $29.99 a month.
WSL matches have lived on the cheaper tier. Confirm that on ESPN's site before you pay, because ESPN has been shuffling what sits in which plan. If you already pay for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ESPN included, you probably have access and never noticed. Check your account before buying anything new.
Myth: An antenna will pick it up
Fact: I love my antenna, but it gets you zero WSL.
An antenna is the best $30 a cord-cutter can spend, and I will defend that anywhere. It pulls in NFL games, some men's Premier League matches on NBC, and plenty of NWSL on the broadcast networks.
The WSL has not had a regular over-the-air slot in the US. Unless that changes (it would be big news if it did), the antenna sits this one out.
Myth: There's a free official stream on YouTube
Fact: Not for US viewers, mostly.
This one has a grain of truth, which is why it sticks around. The league runs an official YouTube channel and has streamed full matches free there, but only in countries where no broadcaster holds the rights. The US has a broadcaster, so live matches on that channel are generally blocked here.
What you do get free and legal from the US:
- Highlights on the league's YouTube channel, usually posted soon after full time.
- Clips, interviews and extended highlights on the clubs' own sites and apps. Arsenal and City are both good at this.
- Live audio commentary on club sites, which some clubs offer. Check the club's matchday page.
If a site claims to have the full match free and it is not one of those official sources, close the tab. It is not worth the malware.
Myth: You have to wake up at dawn or miss it
Fact: The replay is in the app, and it is the better way to watch.
WSL kickoffs are set for UK afternoons and evenings, which usually means morning in the Eastern time zone and very early on the West Coast. I am not a 4:30 a.m. person and I have made my peace with that.
ESPN's app typically posts full-match replays shortly after the final whistle. My routine is to mute a few accounts, make coffee at a civilized hour, and watch on demand. The app has a setting to hide scores, and you should turn it on. Otherwise the home screen will spoil the result before you find the replay.
Myth: One subscription covers everything Arsenal and City women play
Fact: It covers the league. Cups and Europe are separate deals.
A WSL subscription gets you WSL matches. Both of these clubs play in other competitions too:
- Women's Champions League: US rights have moved around in recent years, from DAZN's free streams to a newer deal I understand to be with Paramount+. Check UEFA's site for the current US home.
- Women's FA Cup and League Cup: these have often landed with ESPN as well, but not always every round. Check the listings match by match.
- Preseason and friendlies: often on the clubs' own streaming platforms, sometimes free with registration.
No single app is guaranteed to carry a whole season for either club. For a title-race league match like City vs Arsenal, though, ESPN's service is the one.
Myth: Subscribing means you're locked in for the season
Fact: Go month to month and cancel in the summer.
The WSL season runs roughly September through May. Nothing stops you from subscribing monthly, pausing over the winter break if your team's schedule is thin, and cancelling the day the season ends. The annual plan is cheaper per month only if you would actually use it in June and July.
I rotate subscriptions without guilt. Cancelling takes two minutes in account settings. Set a calendar reminder for the last matchday.
Time-sensitive: this weekend's City vs Arsenal match
This section will age. Everything above should hold up.
Manchester City vs Arsenal is trending because the two meet in the league, and it is one of the WSL's marquee fixtures. For this specific match:
- Open the ESPN app or ESPN.com and search for the fixture to confirm it is listed.
- Look for the plan badge on the listing so you know which tier you need.
- Convert the kickoff time. It is set in UK time, and the US and UK change their clocks on different weekends in the fall, so the usual five-hour gap to Eastern can be off by an hour.
If the match is not listed there, the league's official site keeps a where-to-watch page by country.
What I'd do
I'd check whether I already have ESPN through a bundle. If not, I'd buy one month of the cheapest ESPN streaming tier that carries the WSL, turn on spoiler protection, and watch the replay with breakfast. That costs about what a stadium beer does.
I'd skip a live TV bundle, skip a Peacock upgrade and leave the antenna out of it for this one.
Enjoy the match. City vs Arsenal rarely disappoints.
Until next time, keep the cord cut.
— Dana
— Dana Whitfield