BBC to show live Super League matches

The BBC has secured a two-year deal with the Netball Super League to show one live match per round during the regular season.

Matches will be available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app as well as on demand.

The 2024 season begins on 17 February and the BBC's coverage will start on 24 February when defending champions Loughborough Lightning face Team Bath.

"This is a game-changer," said Super League chief executive Claire Nelson.

"It's so hard to grow women's sport, but how you realise your potential and ambition is by working with partners who just get it and say 'we believe in what you're doing and we want to help you on that journey', and BBC reflects that for us."

"Building those audiences across the UK is going to be really powerful for us, so we're delighted to be working with the BBC."

The 2024 Super League season is the last in its current format as it plans to relaunch and turn professional from 2025.

Ten teams make up the 2024 division, with the top four progressing to the semi-finals in June.

Philip Bernie, interim director of BBC Sport, said: "Our live netball coverage has become increasingly popular with audiences, and now they can follow the excitement of weekly NSL matches free all season long.

"Following the success of the 2023 Netball World Cup final, which had an audience of 1.3m on the BBC, fans can now enjoy more live coverage as we keep delivering all the action of the game to a bigger audience."

Matches to be shown on the BBC have been announced for the first half of the season, with those selected for the other 10 rounds to be confirmed in due course.

The BBC has shown international matches, including last year's World Cup, when England were runners-up.

Round two - Saturday 24 February

Loughborough Lightning v Team Bath

Round three - Friday 1 March

Team Bath v Severn Stars

Round four - Saturday 9 March

Surrey Storm v Cardiff Dragons

Round five - Saturday 16 March

Loughborough Lightning v Leeds Rhinos

Round six - Saturday 23 March

Manchester Thunder v Loughborough Lightning

Round seven - Saturday 30 March

Cardiff Dragons v London Pulse

Round eight - Friday 5 April

London Pulse v Strathclyde Sirens

Round nine - Saturday 13 April

Manchester Thunder v Leeds Rhinos