Disney+ has launched its coverage of the Women's Champions League under a five-year deal, bringing a new look and feel to the tournament. The streaming platform's opening week featured live matches with a minimum of six cameras per game, double the previous minimum under Dazn. However, the coverage had some gaps and glitches, with a meagre pitchside setup and no dedicated studio for most matches.
On-air talent was a highlight, with experienced broadcasters such as Jacqui Oatley, Anita Asante, Lucy Ward, Lianne Sanderson, Vicki Sparks, and Jeanette Kwakye providing knowledgeable commentary and presentation. For the Arsenal vs. Lyon match, Alex Scott and Fara Williams presented pitchside but faced interruptions from people walking behind them, which some viewers found distracting.
Disney's ambition is evident: every match has a pitchside presenting team with 20 minutes of buildup and 30 minutes of post-match reaction, a move praised for promoting equality across all fixtures. However, the buildup for big games like Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich was short, lacking recorded packages or dramatic montages. Multi-language options are available for replays, including English, Spanish, German, Danish, Polish, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and French.
Disney plans to introduce a studio show for match week six in December. While the coverage is a step forward, it still lags behind CBS's slick presentation in the United States. The lack of a dedicated post-match interviewer and off-tube commentary teams suggest priorities may be misaligned, but the overall effort is commendable as the platform seeks to justify subscriptions.
