What's happening?

Two minutes left in the game, and Arsenal and Manchester City were drawing 0-0. Mitchell took the ball and booted it into the top left corner. Goal! Arsenal had won!

But the only fans who knew were at the stadium or watching online. Because this was the Women's Super LeagueEngland's top league for women. Created in 2010, it consists of 12 clubs.. It was not on TV.

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This will soon change. The BBC and Sky have just announced they will play Women's Super League (WSL) games for the next season.

It is the biggest broadcasting deal ever made for women's football. FA officials hope it will boost audience numbers for the game.

There will also be more money. The league will get 8m per season. Some of this will go to clubs to spend on coaches and train
referees. And clubs will be able to fix up old pitches.

Former Arsenal player Alex Scott says the deal "will inspire girls and women to play the sport".

But some people worry that it is not enough. In 2018, 1.1 billion fans watched the men's world cup final. Only 82 million watched the women's game a year later.

Some say

Probably not. Men's football has been around for much longer. This means teams have much more money. They already have millions of fans who have followed them for years. People pay hundreds of pounds to watch them play. Putting women's games on TV might make them more popular. But they can never really compete with the men.

Others think

Of course! Women's football is only unpopular because people have no chance to watch it. Showing games on TV is an opportunity to show how good the sport is. Women's football is more exciting. They score more goals. They commit fewer fouls. And they have just as much skill. It is only a matter of time before they are just as popular.