London City Lionesses commercial and club growth

The London City Lionesses have experienced significant commercial and operational growth ahead of the 2026/27 Barclays Women’s Super League season. The club announced a sell-out for its season opener against Manchester United at the CopperJax Community Stadium, with an expected attendance of over 5,400 supporters. Player Daniëlle Van de Donk noted that the sell-out “just shows how much interest there is at the club at the moment.”

Following a summer recruitment period that included high-profile signings such as Alexia Putellas, Mary Earps, and Mapi León, the club secured a landmark front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Nike. Owner Michele Kang described the agreement as the largest in women’s football, stating it exceeds the value of certain men’s Premier League shirt agreements and surpasses leading deals in the NWSL.

Building on this momentum, the Lionesses secured a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in their opening match. The match featured the highly anticipated debut of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who captained the side. An early own goal by Julia Zigiotti gave the Lionesses the lead, and Daniëlle Van de Donk secured the win with a late backheel goal, while Simi Awujo scored a consolation goal for Manchester United in stoppage time.

Furthermore, former Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas has launched ‘Eleven TV by Alexia,’ a YouTube channel that has acquired the rights to broadcast one Women’s Super League match per week to Spanish-speaking audiences, aiming to increase the league's visibility in Spain.