NWSL agrees new TV deal with multiple partners, says report

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has reportedly reached new agreements for their broadcasting media rights.

According to Sportico, ESPN, CBS, Amazon, and Scripps will all soon air NWSL matches. The top women’s soccer league in the United States previously had a deal with CBS Sports.

Nevertheless, this agreement is set to expire following the end of the current campaign.

The new move by the league is a significantly different approach compared to their most recent agreement with CBS Sports.

The two sides signed a three-year exclusivity deal back in 2020. During the partnership, NWSL matches were only available on CBS-owned networks. This included local CBS stations, CBS Sports Network, as well as Paramount+.

New deal to generate more money for league

However, the new agreement will now allow NWSL games to be broadcasted on multiple networks/streaming services.

Although it could cause confusion for viewers, the deal helps broaden the league’s reach. ESPN, CBS, and Amazon Prime all have fairly different amount of subscribers.

Scripps also currently owns dozens of local television stations across the country.

The aforementioned news outlet did not disclose the exact financial figures in the new deal.

Nevertheless, it is expected to be a dramatic increase compared to NWSL’s previous agreement with CBS Sports.

The impending deal is also thought to financially exceed broadcasting rights to the English Women’s Super League (WSL). It will also run for four years and expire after the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

NWSL is expanding as viewership growth continues

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman previously announced that the league experienced significant viewership growth in recent years.

In fact, CBS Sports Network reported a 20% growth, while Paramount+’s coverage of the NWSL saw a 50% increase compared to the season before.

As viewership grows, so does the league. The NWSL will add three more expansion teams in the next few years.

This includes new clubs in Boston, Utah, and San Jose. The league also wants to add one more expansion club in the near future as well. This would bring the total number of NWSL teams to 16.

Photo credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire