NWSL signs largest broadcast deal in women’s sports, adds TV partners
It will be easier than ever to watch the National Women’s Soccer League after a historic new media deal.
The league announced a four-year media rights deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s championship match between Gotham FC and OL Reign.
The new media rights deal ‘sends a very strong message to the marketplace and to our fans that we are in a five-way partnership here,’ NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said during a press conference on Thursday in San Diego. ‘We are committed collectively to ensuring that this creates the opportunity that this league deserves to be in front of fans and to make sure our fans know where to watch.’
The four-year deal, worth $60 million per year and $240 million in total, is the largest broadcast deal for any women’s sports league. ‘This moment is a celebration, a celebration of how far we’ve come and far we’re headed,’ Berman added.
Starting in 2024, CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports will nationally broadcast 118 NWSL games.
Prime Video will kick off every regular-season weekend with Friday night matches, followed by a Saturday doubleheader on Scripps’-owned ION network. Prime Video will air a total of 27 games in the season, while Scripps Sports will broadcast 50 games and the 2024 NWSL Draft in January.
CBS will air a minimum of 21 games, including the 2024 NWSL Championship. ESPN will broadcast 20 games across its platforms, which will simultaneously stream live in English and Spanish on ESPN+.
“These partnerships fundamentally change the game for our league and the players who take the pitch each week. On behalf of the NWSL, our owners and players, I want to commend CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps for investing in our league and affirmatively declaring to the marketplace that this league is exciting, valuable, and important,” Berman said in a press release. “We have taken great care to ensure our games are discoverable by increasing our reach in order to expose new audiences to everything that makes our league special, without compromising the economic value of our product. This is the beginning of our future.”
The record-breaking deal marks the latest expansion for the NWSL, which announced the addition of two franchises – Utah Royals FC and Bay Area FC – for the 2024 season, bringing the total number of teams to 14. By 2026, the league will expand to 16 teams.
The NSWL’s new media rights deal succeeds the league’s four-year deal with CBS Sports, which ends with the 2023 NWSL Final between Gotham FC and OL Reign on Saturday, when a first-time champion will be crowned. The championship match at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium also marks the final professional match for U.S soccer stars Megan Rapinoe of the Reign and Ali Krieger of Gotham.
‘We’re thrilled to extend our relationship with the NWSL, continuing as the home of the NWSL Championship and offering an expanded slate of matches on CBS as we build on the success of the last four years,’ said CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus.