Starting from this season, the UEFA Women's Champions League has a new home.
Disney+ will be live broadcasting all 75 matches of the competition, from the opening game of the new league format in October to the final in Oslo in May 2026.
Customers will have the chance to follow their local teams in their own language. Every game will be available in English, plus the languages of the playing teams, with selected games also offered in more languages such as Swedish, Danish and Polish.
From the Knockout Phase onwards, all matches will be broadcast in a minimum of five European languages.
The broadcast team:
ESPN will be producing all the live matches and the broadcast lineup includes former England internationals Alex Scott, Fara Williams, Lianne Sanderson and Ellen White.
Scott is joined by a stellar line-up of presenters including Jeanette Kwakye, Archie Rhind-Tutt and Gemma Soler.
Williams and White help make up an analysts team that includes former internationals like Vicky Losasda, Karen Bardsley, Josephine Henning, Siobhan Chamberlain, Emma Byrne, Merel van Dongen as well as Nedum Onuoha.
The commentary team is of similar pedigree and features Vicki Sparks, Anita Asante, Jacqui Oatley, Gilly Flaherty and Lucy Ward.
The highlights from the Women's Champions League can be found on ESPN's digital platforms in the UK and Europe.
- Watch the UWCL live on Disney+
- Full list of presenters, commentators and analysts for UWCL on Disney+
History of the UWCL:
The first edition of the Women's Champions League took place in 2001, and was called the UEFA Women's Cup. Thirty-three teams took part and the tournament was eventually won by FFC Frankfurt.
It was rebranded as the UEFA Women's Champions League in the 2009-10 season, by which time there were 53 competing teams. It was also the season from which the two-legged final was shelved in place of a singular game. The group stage format was introduced in the 2021-22 season and continued until this year.
OL Lyonnes are the most successful team in the competition with eight titles, followed by Frankfurt with four. Ada Hegerberg is the all-time highest scorer in the UWCL with 66 goals. Wendie Renard is the record appearance holder.
New season, new UWCL format
The UWCL has moved to the Swiss model, in line with the shift made in the men's Champions League last year. The 18 teams will be placed in a single league, with each club playing six games each.
- ESPN's comprehensive guide to the new UWCL format
The top four teams go directly into the quarterfinals, while the teams in position 13 to 18 are eliminated. The eight teams between positions 5 and 12 enter a knockout phase playoff, with the four winners progressing into the quarterfinals.
Aitana Bonmatí speaks about the Women's Champions League adopting the league phase format.
Important UWCL dates:
League Phase - Matchday 1: Oct. 7 - Oct. 8
League Phase - Matchday 2: Oct 15 - Oct. 16
League Phase - Matchday 3: Nov. 11 - Nov. 12
League Phase - Matchday 4: Nov. 19 - Nov. 20
League Phase - Matchday 5: Dec. 9 - Dec. 10
League Phase - Matchday 6: Dec 17
Knockout phase playoffs
Draw: Dec. 18
First leg: Feb. 11 - Feb. 12
Second leg: April 1 - April 2
Quarterfinals:
First leg: March 24 - March 25
Second leg: April 1 - April 2
Semifinals:
First leg: April 25 - April 26
Second leg: May 2 - May 3
Final:
May 22/23/24
The UWCL contenders:
Arsenal go into this year's competition as the holders and one of the favourites. The addition of Olivia Smith -- the first £1 million women's player -- as well as the signing of Chloe Kelly on a permanent deal in the summer signal their ambition for the season.
The north London side denied Barcelona a third-successive title in last season's final and the Spanish side will be aiming for a swift return to the summit. Despite a host of departures over the summer, Barça remain heavyweights with three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and Spain captain Alexia Putellas -- who came 4th in the Ballon d'Or -- in their ranks.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will be hoping their domestic success translates onto the European stage this year. The west London side went unbeaten last season on way to a sixth successive Women's Super League (WSL) title. But, they suffered a harrowing 8-2 defeat on aggregate to Barça in the UWCL semifinals.
OL Lyonnes have been busy over the summer, signing players of the calibre of Korbin Shrader, Lily Yohannes, Jule Brand and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The appointment of manager Jonatan Giráldez, who won two UWCL titles with Barça, could herald a new era of glory for the competition's most successful side.
- OL Lyonnes have spent big to reclaim UWCL title, but will it cause issues?
- Why are Barcelona's Ballon d'Or winners Bonmati and Lopez so special?
Disney+ has dedicated club pages for each of these teams, as well as the remaining 14, where you can access complete matches, highlights and interviews.
Arsenal | Barcelona | Chelsea | OL Lyonnes
Key UWCL fixtures:
All 75 matches from the competition will be broadcast live on Disney+. Here are a selection of the standout fixtures:
Oct. 7 - Arsenal vs Lyonnes
Disney+ | ESPN
Oct 7 - Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
Disney+ | ESPN
Oct. 15 - Chelsea vs Paris FC
Disney+ | ESPN
Nov. 11 - Lyonnes vs Wolfsburg
Disney+ | ESPN
Nov. 12 - Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Disney+ | ESPN
Nov. 12 - Man United vs PSG
Disney+ | ESPN
Nov. 19 - Arsenal vs Real Madrid
Disney+ | ESPN
Nov. 20 - Chelsea vs Barcelona
Disney+ | ESPN
Dec. 10 - Man United vs Lyonnes
Disney+ | ESPN
Dec. 17 - Wolfsburg vs Chelsea
Disney+ | ESPN
Dec. 17 - Paris FC vs Barcelona
Disney+ | ESPN