WSL launches official fantasy app to tackle retention with shorter seasons and social features

The Women’s Super League (WSL) has launched its first official fantasy sports application, Barclays WSL and WSL2 Football Fantasy, ahead of the season opener between Manchester United and London City Lionesses. The platform represents a structural departure from established fantasy models, designed to address the chronic player retention issues that plague long-running leagues. By integrating players from both the 14-team WSL and the 12-team WSL2, the app aims to diversify competitive fields and reduce the predictability that has historically limited engagement in women’s football.

Joey Davidson, the WSL’s head of digital products, acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the app’s reception, admitting he has “absolutely no idea” how popular the platform will become. However, the league’s strategy focuses on mitigating the high drop-off rates seen in previous unofficial iterations, such as Aerial Fantasy, where winning squads were often dominated by a small number of players from top clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. The merger of the two divisions into a single fantasy pool is intended to introduce more competitive variety and prevent the repetitive outcomes that caused momentum to stall in previous seasons.

A core innovation of the new platform is the restructuring of the season into six shorter “legs,” timed around international breaks and the Christmas pause. Each leg will feature its own mini-table and prizes, allowing users to engage in shorter bursts of commitment rather than the nine-month grind typical of the men’s Fantasy Premier League. This approach is designed to accommodate fans who join mid-season or those who may drop in and out, providing opportunities for victory without the pressure of maintaining a squad for the entire campaign.

The interface incorporates social media-style elements, including “Fantasy Stories,” which present short vertical videos of player highlights and interviews in a format similar to Instagram. These features aim to enhance user recognition and engagement, with plans for dynamic content tailored to the players in a user’s specific team. The app also offers more flexible transfer rules, including mid-matchweek substitutions and increased free transfers, to reduce the punitive nature of missing a single game week.

Dynamic pricing mechanisms are in place for all players, with developers noting that while WSL2 players may be cheaper initially, their value will rise if they prove dominant, mirroring the performance of top WSL stars like Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw. The app is available online and within the existing WSL application, launching as the league seeks to capitalise on the sustained growth of women’s soccer in England following the national team’s Euro 2022 victory.