Scottish Women's Premier League

What Scottish Women's Premier League does

The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) is the top-tier women's football league in Scotland, headquartered in Glasgow and operating as a private league entity administratively tied to the SPFL (Scottish Professional Football League). It operates a two-tier competitive structure comprising SWPL 1 (top flight, 10 member clubs including Aberdeen, Celtic, Glasgow City, Hearts, Hibernian, Rangers, Hamilton Academical, Montrose, Motherwell, and Partick Thistle) and SWPL 2 (second tier, 11 member clubs including Boroughmuir Thistle, Dundee United, East Fife, Falkirk, Gartcairn, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Queen's Park, Renfrew, Spartans, St Johnstone, and University of Stirling), with promotion/relegation between the tiers and the Scottish Women's Championship. The product surface also includes the Sky Sports Cup competition and SWPL Play-Off Finals, plus a digital Match Centre (swpl.uk) delivering fixtures, results, league tables, and statistics. UEFA Women's Champions League and Europa Cup qualification pathways provide international reach for top-performing clubs.

The league generates revenue through four primary streams: broadcasting and media rights (BBC ALBA, BBC Scotland, Sky Sports), title and official sponsorship (ScottishPower as title sponsor across both divisions; Sky Sports as Sky Sports Cup title partner; plus partners including HALO, Puma, Park's Motor Group, Elms, Wyscout, and SPFL), match-day ticket sales (priced from £1 concessions to £16 family-of-4 packages), and commercial agreements. A three-year, seven-figure HALO partnership (announced November 2025) provides software, data, and process tooling across the SPFL Group, with branding on Scotland national team training kit and league/cup matches. Marketing and fan engagement run through a multi-channel presence including a website, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SWPL rebranded in August 2022, with ScottishPower's title sponsorship commencing in 2023 (extended through 2026/27) marking the inflection point for commercial scale. Governance sits with a Board of Directors; Fiona McIntyre serves as Managing Director (appointed July 2022), and Elizabeth Fagan was appointed Chair in October 2025 coinciding with record-breaking financial results. The league is jointly operated within the SPFL Group, with the Scottish Football Marketing Division formed in March 2023 alongside Scottish FA and SPFL to consolidate marketing capability.

Name

Scottish Women's Premier League

Legal name

Scottish Women's Premier League

Website

https://swpl.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) is the top-tier women's football league in Scotland, operating a two-tier competition (SWPL 1 and SWPL 2) with 21 member clubs, the Sky Sports Cup, UEFA qualification pathways, and match-day ticketing, broadcast on BBC ALBA, BBC Scotland, and Sky Sports under ScottishPower title sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Football League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA), Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Women's football league
• Football broadcasting rights
• League sponsorship deals
• Professional football competition
• Sports ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Broadcasting and Media Rights: Enhanced broadcast income and international rights sales contribute to league revenue and club payments, as evidenced by record-breaking financial results.
2. Sponsorship and Partnership: Three-year, seven-figure partnership deal with HALO for software solutions with branding on Scotland national team training kits and league/cup match branding.
3. Title Sponsorship: ScottishPower holds title sponsorship rights (ScottishPower Women's Premier League), with Sky Sports as official title partner for the cup competition.
4. Ticket Sales: Match day ticket revenue from gate receipts at league matches across SWPL and SWPL 2 clubs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) operates a two-tier women's football competition in Scotland, with SWPL 1 (10 clubs) and SWPL 2 (11 clubs), the Sky Sports Cup, and Play-Off Finals. The league generates revenue through broadcast rights licensing, title sponsorship with ScottishPower, official partnerships, and match-day ticket sales, while providing European qualification pathways to UEFA Women's Champions League and Europa Cup.

Product overview

The Scottish Women's Premier League operates a two-tier football league structure consisting of the ScottishPower Women's Premier League (SWPL) as the top tier and ScottishPower Women's Premier League 2 (SWPL 2) as the second tier, supported by the Sky Sports Cup competition and Play-Off Finals system. The Match Centre digital platform provides fans with fixtures, results, league tables, and club information across both divisions. The league operates under commercial partnerships with ScottishPower (title sponsor), Sky Sports (title partner and broadcaster), BBC ALBA, BBC Scotland, and other official partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWPL 1: The top division of the Scottish Women's Premier League
• SWPL 2
• Sky Sports Cup

Products and services

• ScottishPower Women's Premier League (SWPL 1) The top tier of women's football in Scotland, featuring 10 elite clubs (Aberdeen, Celtic, Glasgow City, Hamilton Academical, Hearts, Hibernian, Montrose, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Rangers) competing for the league title, UEFA Women's Champions League and Europa Cup qualification spots, and promotion/relegation outcomes within the Scottish football pyramid.
• ScottishPower Women's Premier League 2 (SWPL 2) The second tier of women's football in Scotland, featuring 11 clubs (Boroughmuir Thistle, Dundee United, East Fife, Falkirk, Gartcairn, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Queen's Park, Renfrew, Spartans, St Johnstone, University of Stirling) competing for promotion to SWPL 1 and against relegation to the Scottish Women's Championship.
• Sky Sports Cup
• SWPL Play-Off Finals End-of-season play-off matches determining promotion to SWPL from SWPL 2 and relegation to the Scottish Women's Championship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking revenue and club payments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• HALOcoreTechnology or Integration · 15 November 2025UK-based software firm HALO signed a three-year, seven-figure partnership deal with SFA, SPFL, and SWPL. HALO will provide software solutions to improve data capabilities and internal processes. Branding appears on Scotland national team training kits and during league/cup matches.
• ElmscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2025Elms extends longstanding partnership with SPFL Group through 2030, providing professional services.
• ScottishPowerflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerScottishPower holds title sponsorship of the Scottish Women's Premier League and SWPL 2. The partnership has grown from strength to strength with three seasons completed and extension into 2026/27. Edinburgh Castle was illuminated to mark partnership extension.
• Sky SportsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSky Sports is the official title partner for the Sky Sports Cup competition. Provides broadcast coverage of selected matches.
• BBC ALBAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBBC ALBA is an official partner broadcasting SWPL matches. Coverage includes live matches, half-time features, and match round-ups.
• BBC ScotlandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBBC Scotland is an official partner broadcasting SWPL coverage and features.
• PumacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner - sportswear and equipment supplier.
• SPFLflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner - SWPL is part of the SPFL Group structure, sharing administrative and operational resources.
• Park's Motor GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner supporting SWPL Goal of the Month and SWPL 2 Goal of the Season awards, Player of the Month awards.
• WyscoutcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Partner - football video analysis platform and data provider.
• SPFL TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner - charitable arm of Scottish football focusing on health, wellbeing and community programs. SPFL United series showcases impact.
• ID UNLIMITEDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner - marketing and branding services.
• inspiresportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner - sports experiences and hospitality provider.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): The top-tier women's professional soccer league in the United States. Directly comparable as a national women's soccer league with franchise-based clubs, broadcast partnerships, and growing sponsorship revenue.
• Division 1 Féminine: France's top-tier women's football league. Comparable as a national women's football league with club-based structure, broadcast coverage, and European qualification pathways, though operating at a different commercial scale.
• Liga F: Spain's top-tier women's football league. Comparable as a national women's football league with professionalized clubs, broadcast deals, and European qualification pathways similar to SWPL.
• Women's Super League (WSL): England's top-tier women's football league. The most directly comparable women's soccer league to SWPL in terms of structure (clubs, promotion/relegation, title sponsorship, broadcast deals), but operating at materially larger scale and commercial maturity.
• Serie A Femminile: Italy's top-tier women's football league. Comparable as a national women's football league with professional club structure and UEFA qualification pathways, serving as a benchmark for SWPL's growth trajectory.
• Frauen-Bundesliga: Germany's top-tier women's football league. Comparable as a national women's football league with promotion/relegation, club-based structure, and UEFA qualification pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL): The umbrella organization of which SWPL is part. Operates Scotland's top professional men's football leagues. Comparable as a domestic football competition body sharing administrative infrastructure, broadcast partnerships, and commercial operations with SWPL.
• Scottish Football Association (Scottish FA): The national governing body of football in Scotland. Co-partner with SWPL on the HALO partnership and Scottish Football Marketing Division, and comparable as the federation-level authority above the league.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWPL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SWPLOfficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/SWPLOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swplofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/swplofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@swplofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scottish Women's Premier League