Groundbreaking audio-descriptive commentary service at Women's Champions League final

Audio-descriptive commentary will make its UEFA Women's Champions League final debut on Saturday as the service is delivered outside the stadium for the first time.

The tailored commentary is designed for blind and partially sighted fans to enhance their experience and thereby helping to increase inclusivity for football supporters. At this year's final, the service will break new ground, being provided via the internet rather than an FM radio signal.

Previously only spectators in the stadium were able to access the commentary but this means it can now be followed all over the world. It also lifts the quality of the sound without impacting the delay in commentary, which will be available in English and Italian for the final between FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais.

How it works

The service is provided by a specially trained commentator. They provide additional narration which describes all significant visual information such as body language, facial expressions, scenery, action, clothing, colours and anything else that is important to conveying the image, venue, match, event or surrounding ambience.

During the match, the commentator will describe on-pitch action rather than talking about statistics or tactics or providing lengthy summaries of previous moments. It has been provided at UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League finals as well as at the recent EURO and UEFA Nations League finals.