National Women's Soccer League on television

Last updated

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league owned by the teams, and under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation. At the top of the United States league system, it represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The NWSL was established in 2012 as a successor to Women's Professional Soccer (2007–2012), which was itself the successor to Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003). The league began play in 2013 with eight teams, four of which were former members of Women's Professional Soccer (Chicago Red Stars, Boston Breakers, Sky Blue FC, Western New York Flash). [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Television coverage

During the 2013–2016 seasons, the majority of league games were available for viewing via YouTube or via individual team's websites. [4] Of the eight teams in the league during the inaugural season, the Boston Breakers were the only team that charged a fee for access to their broadcasts. [5]

Fox Sports 2 (2013)

On April 18, 2013, NWSL signed a one-year agreement [6] with Fox Sports 2 to televise six regular season games, [7] the semifinal, [8] [9] [10] and championship games. [11] [12] [13] [14] All eight teams would appear on FS2 [15] at least once and all six regular season games.

The commentators that FS2 employed during this time included Steve Cangialosi (play-by-play) and Kyndra de St. Aubin [16] (color commentary).

ESPN2 and ESPN3 (2014)

On May 28, 2014, the NWSL signed a one-year agreement with ESPN [17] to televise nine games [18] of the 2014 NWSL season. The matches included three regular season and three playoff matches on ESPN2, [19] [20] as well as 3 regular season games live-streamed on ESPN3. [21]

Only six of the nine teams were guaranteed to appear in the broadcast matches, with the Major League Soccer-partnered Houston Dash and Portland Thorns [22] each appearing three times. The Seattle Reign would appear on two of three ESPN3 games and Sky Blue FC would appear once on ESPN2 and ESPN3. The Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash would each appear once on ESPN2, with the Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City and Washington Spirit being shut out from regular-season matches. ESPN2's the viewership average [23] for their package of NWSL games was 144,000. [24]

Glenn Davis provided the play-by-play with Mónica González [25] providing analysis.

FS1 and Fox Sports Go (2015–2016)

On June 30, 2015, [26] the NWSL announced a one-year agreement [27] with Fox Sports once more to cover ten matches. [28] Three regular season and three playoff matches were televised on FS1, [29] [30] and four live-streamed on Fox Sports Go. [31] The agreement was extended into 2016 under another one-year contract, covering three regular season matches and the three playoff matches, once again on FS1. [32] [33] Consequently, no game aired for more than a month after the end of the World Cup, [34] and just six matches, total, reached televisions. [35]

The 2015 NWSL final between drew 167,000 viewers [36] on Fox Sports 1. That was up 7% from the same matchup on ESPN2 the previously year (156K) and up nearly 2,000% from 2013 final on Fox Sports 2 (8K). [37]

On April 14, 2016, NWSL and Fox Sports announced a one-year agreement to telecast six NWSL games for the second consecutive season. The agreement called for FS1 to air three regular-season matches (beginning on September 7, 2016, with a match-up between the Chicago Red Stars and FC Kansas City [38] ) and all three games of the NWSL Playoffs, which includes the semifinals and final. [39] All six games would also stream live on FOX Soccer 2Go, FOX Sports GO, and FOXSportsGO.com. The Orlando Pride were not one of the three regular-season matches included in the deal, [40] and would have to be one of four playoff teams to make it on national television.

The broadcast teams that Fox Sports employed this time included:

  1. Jenn Hildreth [41] [42] (play-by-play) and Kyndra de St. Aubin (color commentary)
  2. Mark Rogondino [43] (play-by-play) and Aly Wagner [44] (color commentary)

Lifetime and ESPNews (2017–2018)

On February 2, 2017, the NWSL announced a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, in which the Lifetime network broadcast 22 regular-season matches as the NWSL Game of the Week at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday afternoons, as well as three post-season matches. This marked the first time that the NWSL had a weekly broadcast window throughout the entire season. As part of the deal, A&E Networks purchased a 25% equity stake in the NWSL and were granted two seats on the league's board. The company also formed a joint venture with the league known as NWSL Media to oversee the league's marketing and broadcast rights, and Lifetime became a league-wide kit sponsor for all players. This deal marked the first time Lifetime had broadcast sports since the WNBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s. [45] [46] [47] [48] [49]

Lifetime's broadcasts featured play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth, [50] analyst Aly Wagner, host and sideline reporter Dalen Cuff [51] as well as select appearances by analyst and sideline reporter Kate Markgraf.

Lifetime also streamed the game of the week in the United States via its website, and internationally in the NWSL website and iOS app. The remaining games were initially streamed exclusively by go90 in the United States under a digital rights deal with Verizon Communications, and through the NWSL website internationally. [52] The quality of the streams through go90 faced criticism, with sportswriters, users, and players and team staff criticizing the service for its inconsistent quality and arguing that the NWSL's growth could be harmed by go90's relative lack of reach and prominence when compared to YouTube. [53] [54] The Equalizer noted that the app was prone to crashing, did not have the same wide device support as YouTube, [55] and that the telecasts themselves suffered from their own technical problems (such as poor camera angles and glitches with graphics), but that the streams were good when they worked. [56] On May 19, 2017, the league announced that they would additionally stream games on the NWSL website and app in the U.S. until the technical issues with go90 were rectified. [57]

After Houston Dash player Rachel Daly collapsed on the pitch after a match in Houston, on May 27 – where the heat index was reportedly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit – she was carried off on a stretcher and hospitalized for heat illness. League operations director Amanda Duffy subsequently announced that the NWSL Game of the Week matches, many of which were slated for the hottest parts of the day in humid cities such as Houston, Orlando, and Cary, North Carolina, would be rescheduled to allow for longer hydration breaks. Some Game of the Week matches changed to other venues, and teams not scheduled for television were granted more flexibility in rescheduling kickoffs for player safety. The league also adopted new procedures for addressing heat and rescheduling matches. [58] [59]

On June 6, 2018, it was announced that six Game of the Week matches through the remainder of the season would move to evening kickoffs and air on ESPNews (which is owned by a sister venture to A&E Networks), in an effort to ensure the safety of players, as well as improve attendance. [60] Go90 shut down in July 2018; the remaining games not aired on television were moved back to the NWSL website for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. [61]

Since ESPNNews was generally included in a higher-tier cable package as compared to Lifetime, this made the channel less accessible to the average viewer. Fans not watching on television would be able to stream the games live via the ESPN App, but they would need to be ESPNews subscribers to do that as authentication is required in the U.S. This could have potentially led to lower viewership numbers for the games broadcast on ESPNews. [62]

ESPNews and ESPN2 (2019)

On February 20, 2019, the NWSL announced that A&E Networks had pulled out of its broadcasting agreement [63] with the league one season early. A&E's stake in NWSL Media was given back to the league, but Lifetime would remain a kit sponsor. [64] NWSL president Amanda Duffy said the changes would give the league and its teams finer control over its media and sponsorship agreements, and expected to announce a new television rights deal soon. Verizon Media remained the U.S. digital rightsholder to the league, but the streams moved from go90 to the Yahoo! Sports website and apps. [65]

The NWSL did not reach any national television deals before the start of the 2019 season, [66] but after their opening match, the Chicago Red Stars reached their own television deal with the regional sports network NBC Sports Chicago. [67] In July 2019, the NWSL announced that ESPN had acquired a 14-match [68] package for the remainder of the season divided among ESPNews and ESPN2, including the semifinals and championship match. [69] Eight matches would air on ESPNEWS, and the remaining six, including the two semifinals and the championship, [70] would air on ESPN2. [71]

The 2019 playoffs on ESPN2 averaged 148,000 viewers overall, up 66 percent from 2018. That year's championship game between the North Carolina Courage and Chicago Red Stars was seen by an average audience of 166,000 viewers on ESPN2, making it the most-watched NWSL match in three years. The audience was 43 percent higher than the 2018 Final and the NWSL's best audience since the 2016 Final (Western New York vs. Washington, 180,000 viewers). The 2019 NWSL season finished with an average of 81,000 viewers across ESPN networks, up 7 percent year-over-year. The 2019 NWSL season on ESPN networks also made its biggest year-over-year gains among viewers 18–49 with an average of 37,000 viewers, a 32 percent increase over the previous year. [72]

ESPN's broadcast talent line-up [73] included Aly Wagner (color commentary), Jenn Hildreth (play-by-play), Angela Hucles (color commentary), Glenn Davis (play-by-play), Marisa Pilla (sideline reporter), and Dalen Cuff (play-by-play and sideline reporter).

CBS Sports and Twitch (2020–2022)

In October 2019, the NWSL signed the agency Octagon to market its media rights. It was reported that Octagon was pursuing multi-year agreements of at least three years and stronger broadcaster commitments, as to help build an audience and discourage broadcasters from acquiring NWSL rights to ride the coattails of the U.S. national team and the FIFA Women's World Cup, but then "abandon" it afterward. [74]

On March 11, 2020, the NWSL announced that it has entered into a three-year media agreement with CBS Sports [75] and the video game-oriented streaming service Twitch, [76] for a reported $4.5M rights fee to the NWSL over those 3 years. [77] For the 2020 NWSL season, CBS Sports will broadcast 87 matches (including the playoffs) split between CBS, CBS Sports Network, and CBS All Access in Canada and the United States, with the exact distribution among the channels subject to change, while Twitch will stream an additional 24 matches for free. Twitch will also become the NWSL's international media rights holder and stream all matches outside Canada and the United States for free. [78] [79] This marked the first time that CBS Sports would broadcast any major professional soccer on U.S. television since the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1976. [80] However, actual production responsibilities would not be handled by CBS Sports, but National Women's Soccer League itself. [81] This broadcasting arrangement is similar to a brokered deal or a time-buy.

Coverage of the 2020 NWSL season was scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS and CBS All Access with coverage of the OL Reign taking on the Washington Spirit. That was supposed to be followed by a rematch of previous year's championship game between the Chicago Red Stars and the North Carolina Courage at 7 p.m. ET on Twitch. On March 12, 2020, the preseason match schedule was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. [82] As a result, the NWSL announced on March 20 that the regular season start cancelled. [83]

And then on June 16, 2020, the National Women's Soccer League announced [84] that CBS would air the opening match of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup between back-to-back champions North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns FC on June 27 at 10:30 a.m. MT (12:30 p.m. ET). The CBS broadcast coverage of the opening match would also stream live on CBS All Access, and opening day would continue with a matchup between the Orlando Pride and Chicago Red Stars on CBS All Access at 8 p.m. MT (10 p.m. ET).

The opening match would be covered [85] by play-by-play announcer Jenn Hildreth and analyst Aly Wagner, with games 2 through 22 called by play-by-play announcer Mike Watts and analyst Lori Lindsey. Josh Tolle and Jenn Cooper [86] would broadcast all other matches on Twitch for viewers outside the U.S. and Canada. Marisa Pilla would serve as the tournament's on-field reporter.

For the 2021 NWSL Championship Game [87] on November 20, CBS [88] aired the game live while Paramount+ (formally CBS All Access) would stream it live on their service. Meanwhile, the NWSL's Twitch channel would stream the game internationally. Jenn Hildreth once again provided the play-by-play alongside Aly Wagner with Marisa Pilla and Lori Lindsey reporting from the sidelines.

CBS Sports, TSN, DAZN, Tigo, and Endeavor (2023)

The league's partnership with Twitch expired after the 2022 season, and the league declined to renew it, instead contracting Endeavor Streaming to operate an international streaming service for the league, while three international broadcast partners acquired broadcast rights for their territories: [89]

On June 6, 2023, Tigo also added free Spanish-language streams of two regular-season NWSL matches per week, the NWSL Challenge Cup playoffs, and NWSL playoffs in the United States and Canada. [91]

CBS Sports remained the league's broadcast partner through 2023, but did not extend a deal with the league prior to the end of its period of exclusive negotiations in 2022. [92] CBS continued to air limited matches on over-the-air CBS broadcast and CBS Sports Network, with most matches still streamed on the paid Paramount+ service. Upon the launch of the free soccer-focused CBS Sports Golazo Network service, CBS announced that a limited schedule of NWSL matches would also be streamed there. [93]

The league announced a broadcast crew that included Jacqui Oatley, Lori Lindsey, and Lianne Sanderson for nationally broadcast matches, and Jill Loyden, Tony Meola, Kate Scott, and Saskia Webber for broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and matches streamed on Paramount+.

Play-by-play announcers included JP Dellacamera, Josh Eastern, Jenn Hildreth, Joe Malfa, Maura Sheridan, Jamie Watson, and Mike Watts, with Jordan Angeli and Gary Bailey on color commentary. [94]

2024–present: CBS, Amazon, ESPN and Ion

On November 9, 2023, the NWSL announced multi-year deals with CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports, reported to be valued in total at around $60 million per-season (in comparison to the roughly $1.5 million paid by CBS under the previous agreement). [95]

List of broadcasters

Regional broadcasters

TeamSummary
Chicago Red Stars On April 17, 2019, it was announced that NBC Sports Chicago would serve as the Red Stars' new regional broadcaster, televising all regular-season matches (beginning with their second match of the 2019 season). 7 matches in the 2019 season will be carried on its overflow channel NBC Sports Chicago Plus. [98]
Houston Dash As of the 2017 season, Dash games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [52] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. [99] [47] For the 2017 season, the Dash will be featured in five nationally broadcast Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on May 6, May 3, and September 23, 2017. [100] During the 2014 season, games were broadcast locally on CSN TV in Houston. [101]
North Carolina Courage In 2019, the NWSL broadcast partnership with A&E was terminated a year early, all games would be streamed on Yahoo! Sports in the United States and on the NWSL website for international viewers. [102] In 2018, Courage games continued to be streamed on Go90, the NWSL website and select games were broadcast on Lifetime. After Go90 was shut down by Verizon on July 30, all games were available for streaming on the NWSL website. [103] In 2017, Courage games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [52] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. [99] [47] In 2017 season, the Courage were featured in national Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on June 3, July 1, August 19, and July 15, 2017. [104]
OL Reign From 2013 to 2016, Seattle Reign games were streamed live by Bootstrapper Studios via YouTube. The broadcasts were called by KOMO News Radio Sports Director, Tom Glasgow, with color commentary provided by Lesle Gallimore, head coach of the Washington Huskies. [105] During the 2013 season, a select number of league games were broadcast on Fox Sports. [106] During the 2014 season, several league games were broadcast by ESPN. [107] In March 2015, the team became one of the first sports teams to use the newly released app Periscope to stream a preseason friendly against the Portland Pilots. [108] In 2015, six select regular season games and the playoff matches were broadcast by Fox Soccer. [109] The playoff final featuring Reign FC and FC Kansas City set what was then a league record, averaging 167,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1 – an increase of 7 percent compared to the 2014 final broadcast on ESPN2. [110] That record stood until the 2016 NWSL finals between Western New York and Washington, which averaged more than 180,000 viewers. [111] As of 2017, Reign games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [45] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. [112] [47] For the 2017 season, the Reign were featured in nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on May 27, July 8, August 26, and September 9, 2017. [113] During the 2018 season, Lifetime match broadcasts featuring Seattle include May 5, July 21, and August 11, 2018. [114]
Orlando Pride In 2016, games were broadcast locally on the Bright House Sports Network. [115] In April of the same year, a livestream of a Pride match simulcast on the Facebook page of Alex Morgan had a live audience of 489,999 during the first half. [116] It was the first professional sports broadcast on the social networking website. [117] For the 2017 season, Orlando Pride games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [118] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. [119] [120] The Pride were featured in the nationally televised Game of the Week on seven occasions. [121] The deal was mutually terminated a year early at the end of the 2018 season. [122] In 2019, NWSL regular season matches were streamed on Yahoo! Sports for the domestic audience while international fans continued to have access to games for free via the NWSL app and at NWSLsoccer.com. [123] However, on July 4, 2019, NWSL announced it had signed a deal through the second half of the 2019 season with ESPN on the back of the USWNT's World Cup victory. The new deal meant ESPN would televise 11 regular season matches including two Pride games (July 14 and September 11) as well as every playoff game. [124] The sudden switch and lack of information surrounding the international broadcasts led to widespread confusion as ESPN's subscription service ESPN Player took control in Europe, Africa and parts of Asia while Canada's rights were acquired by TSN. [125] For the 2020 season, the NWSL announced a three-year broadcast deal with CBS Sports and streaming service Twitch. In total, 87 NWSL matches will be shown across the main CBS network, CBS Sports Network, and CBS All Access live-streaming service with 14 of those games televised while Twitch will offer free coverage of 24 selected matches during the 2020 NWSL regular season. Twitch will also serve as the NWSL's exclusive international media rights partner outside the United States in 2020 with all 108 regular-season matches, the playoffs, and Championship available to global viewers. [126] [127]
Portland Thorns FC As of April 2017, Thorns games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [45] For the 2017 season, the Thorns were featured in six nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on April 15, April 29, July 15, August 5, August 26, and September 30, 2017. [128] During the 2013 season, games were streamed online and broadcast on the radio on Freedom 970 AM. [129] Long-time Portland-area sports reporter and broadcaster Ann Schatz was announced as the play-by-play broadcaster, while Angela Harrison, an All-American goalkeeper with the Portland Pilots, was the color analyst. [130] In 2014, Schatz returned, with former Thorns defender Marian Dougherty, who retired after the 2013 season, joining for color commentary. [131]
Sky Blue FC As of April 2017, Sky Blue FC games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [52] For the 2017 season, the team will be featured in the nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on May 13, May 20, July 1, and August 12, 2017. [132] Previous seasons' matches were streamed live on YouTube, available around the world. The announcers were Corey Cohen on play-by-play and Dan Lauletta on color commentary with Evan Davis hosting the halftime show and NJ Discover handling production. [133]
Utah Royals FC The Utah Royals announced that all matches in 2018, except for their six NWSL Game of the Week appearances on Lifetime, would be broadcast locally on KMYU My Utah TV and streamed on the KSL app, as an extension of the broadcast rights agreements with Sinclair Broadcast Group and KSL with Real Salt Lake. [134] KALL ESPN 700 would carry the majority of Royals games on local radio – as it does for Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs. On August 17, 2018, KSL announced that Utah Royals games would no longer be broadcast on television or radio, but they would continue to be streamed on the KSL website and app. [135]
Washington Spirit At the beginning of the 2019 season the Spirit announced a broadcast partnership with NBC Sports Washington and Monumental Sports Network. [136] As of April 2017, Washington Spirit games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [52] For the 2017 season, the Spirit will be featured in three nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on April 22, [137] June 17, and August 19, 2017. [138] In 2016, the Spirit's NWSL Playoff game against the Chicago Red Stars was broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and was available for streaming on the company's online streaming platform, Fox Sports Go. [139]

Former teams

TeamSummary
Boston Breakers As of 2017, Boston Breakers games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [52] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. [99] [47] The Breakers were featured in the nationally televised Game of the Week on September 2, 2017. [140] Previous seasons' games were broadcast on YouTube, [141] MediaBoss Television, [142] ESPN, [143] and Fox Sports. [144]
FC Kansas City As of April 2017, FC Kansas City games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers. [145] For the 2017 season, the Blues will be featured in three nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on June 3, August 16 and September 9. [146] [147] Ahead of the 2013 season, it was announced that games would be broadcast on the team's website and YouTube. [148] Eight games were broadcast locally on Time Warner Cable's Metro Sports. [149] During the 2014 season, nine games were broadcast on the same channel. [150]

International broadcasters (outside USA)

The countries without broadcasting rights, can watch all NWSL matches via NWSL+ platform. [151]

Country/regionBroadcaster
Africa ESPN
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Optus Sport
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Canal GOAT
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium W-Sport
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Southeast Asia
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada TSN
Central America TV Azteca
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Viaplay
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland TNT Sports
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Canal 11

NWSL Championship/Challenge Cup

YearNetwork Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Touchline reporter(s)
2024 CBS Paramount+ Jacqui Oatley Lori Lindsey Emily Proud
NWSL+Josh Eastern Jill Loyden
2023 CBS Paramount+ Jacqui Oatley Lori Lindsey Lianne Sanderson
Tiffany Blackmon
2022 CBS Twitch Jenn Hildreth [152] [153] Maura Sheridan Aly Wagner [73] Anna Witte Jenny Chiu
Lori Lindsey
2021 Josh Tolle Kaylyn Kyle Marisa Pilla
2020 INT Mike Watts Lori Lindsey
2019 ESPN2 Angela Hucles
2018 Lifetime Dalen Cuff Kate Markgraf
2017 Julie Foudy
2016 FS1 Kyndra de St. Aubin
2015 Julie Stewart-Binks
2014 ESPN2 Glenn Davis Mónica González [25]
2013 FS2 Steve Cangialosi Kyndra de St. Aubin Kate Markgraf

^INT – Twitch's Challenge Cup worldwide coverage was not available for USA and CAN viewers.

See also

Related Research Articles

In the United States, sports are televised on various broadcast networks, national and specialty sports cable channels, and regional sports networks. U.S. sports rights are estimated to be worth a total of $22.42 billion in 2019, about 44 percent of the total worldwide sports media market. U.S. networks are willing to pay a significant amount of money for television sports contracts because it attracts large amounts of viewership; live sport broadcasts accounted for 44 of the 50 list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Breakers</span> Soccer team

The Boston Breakers were an American professional women's soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's United Soccer Association, as the Boston area's professional women's soccer team. Boston would eventually be awarded BOS Nation FC in 2023 that would begin play in 2026.

Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the United States nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. As of the 2023 season, Apple Inc. is the primary global rights holder and streams every regular season and playoff match on MLS Season Pass – a service in the Apple TV app. Some matches are also broadcast on television via Fox Sports in the United States, and Bell Media in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's soccer in the United States</span> Womens association football in the United States

Women's soccer in the United States has developed quite differently from men's soccer. Until the 1970s, organized women's soccer matches in the U.S. existed only on a limited basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Women's Soccer League</span> Professional soccer league in the United States

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Spirit</span> American professional womens soccer team

The Washington Spirit are an American professional women's soccer team based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the W-League and continues to field both an amateur Women's Premier Soccer League team and a youth team, both under the Spirit name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Kansas City</span> Soccer team

FC Kansas City was an American professional women's soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, and began play in 2013. They were two-time NWSL champions, having won titles in 2014 and 2015. After the 2017 season, the NWSL re-acquired owner Elam Baer's membership interest and subsequently ceased the team's operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Thorns FC</span> Soccer team and National Womens Soccer League franchise in Portland, Oregon

Portland Thorns FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Established in 2012, the team began play in 2013 in the then-eight-team NWSL, which received support from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Reign FC</span> Womens soccer team based in Seattle, Washington

Seattle Reign FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, it is one of eight inaugural members of the NWSL. Since June 2024, the Reign are owned by the private equity firm Carlyle Group and Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Dash</span> American professional soccer club

The Houston Dash are an American professional women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Dash began play in the 2014 season. The team plays its home games at Shell Energy Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando Pride</span> American womens soccer club

The Orlando Pride are a professional women's soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Pride began play in the 2016 season. They were the tenth team to be added to the league and play their home games at Inter&Co Stadium in downtown Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Courage</span> American professional womens soccer team in North Carolina

The North Carolina Courage are an American professional women's soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acquired NWSL franchise rights from the Western New York Flash. The Courage plays its home games at the WakeMed Soccer Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Orlando Pride season</span> Orlando Pride 2017 soccer season

The 2017 season was Orlando Pride's second season. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by the ESPN division of The Walt Disney Company, in partnership with ESPN Inc., which is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Communications. It is one of Disney's three flagship subscription streaming brands in the United States, alongside Disney+ and Hulu, and operates using technology of Disney subsidiary BAMTech, now known as Disney Streaming.

Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the U.S. nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. In the United States the game is broadcast in English on Fox Sports 1 and Fox, in Spanish on Fox Deportes. In Canada, MLS is broadcast on TSN in English and RDS in French.

Soccer on CBS Sports is a number of television programs that have aired soccer matches in the United States on CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. These matches are from International, European, and American competitions.

Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league consisting of six active teams in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played 16 regular-season games from late May to late September, with a four-team playoff for the championship trophy, the Steinfeld Trophy.

The Premier League is the most-watched soccer league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. The Premier League is broadcast in the United States through NBC Sports. Premier League viewership has increased rapidly, with NBC and NBCSN averaging a record 479,000 viewers in the 2014–15 season, up 118% from 2012–13 when coverage still aired on Fox Soccer and ESPN/ESPN2, and NBC Sports has been widely praised for its coverage. NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League in 2015 to broadcast the league through the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million).

Jenn Hildreth is an American sports commentator best known for her work as a soccer play-by-play announcer for English-language broadcasts of the FIFA Women's World Cup, National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and Major League Soccer in the United States. She is known for her Latin American-style signature first half kickoff catchphase "Let's love the game!"

Michael Watts is an American television sports commentator. He has commentated on soccer games including for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), USL Championship, and CONCACAF Champions League, and worked in other sports.

References

  1. ↑ "Will NWSL be a success? Well ..." espnW. 11 April 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  2. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (November 21, 2012). "Women's pro soccer league to debut in U.S. next year". USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  3. ↑ Mayers, Joshua. "Seattle will have team in new women's professional league owned by Bill Predmore". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  4. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League" . Retrieved September 21, 2013– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Murray, Caitlin (August 14, 2013). "Assessing Year 1, future of NWSL livestreams". The Equalizer. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ "NWSL & Fox Sports Media Group Announce 2013 National TV Schedule". Pitchside Report. June 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ "NWSL debuts on FOX Soccer with Spirit visit to Seattle". Washington Spirit. July 9, 2013.
  8. ↑ "NWSL Playoffs to air on Fox Sports 2". SoccerWire. August 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ Bell, Jack (August 23, 2013). "Sky Blue Looks Beyond N.W.S.L. Playoffs". The New York Times.
  10. ↑ "NWSL SEMIFINALS SATURDAY ON FOX SPORTS2". SOCCER STL. August 23, 2013.
  11. ↑ 2013 NWSL Championship Highlights: WNYF vs. PTFC on YouTube
  12. ↑ Murphy, Melissa (August 30, 2013). "Wambach vs Morgan in NWSL championship game". Ottumwa Courier.
  13. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (December 31, 2013). "Bests and worsts of women's soccer in 2013". The Equalizer.
  14. ↑ "NWSL, FSMG announce national TV agreement". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  15. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (June 13, 2013). "NWSL, Fox Sports announce national TV schedule". The Equalizer.
  16. ↑ NWSL Semifinals: FC Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns FC on YouTube
  17. ↑ Oshan, Jeremiah (May 28, 2014). "NWSL signs limited broadcast deal with ESPN". SBNation.
  18. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League & ESPN Announce National Broadcast Agreement". Chicago Red Stars.
  19. ↑ "BECKY SAUERBRUNN IN NWSL FINAL SUNDAY ON ESPN2". SOCCER STL. August 30, 2014.
  20. ↑ Michelis, Belen (October 18, 2019). "ESPN2 to Air National Women's Soccer League Semifinal Doubleheader on Sunday". ESPN Press Room.
  21. ↑ "NWSL and ESPN announce national broadcast agreement". National Women's Soccer League. May 28, 2014. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  22. ↑ "ESPN networks to broadcast three Thorns FC matches in 2014". Timbers.com. May 28, 2014.
  23. ↑ Lewis, Jon (July 24, 2019). "Ratings: NWSL, MLB, Baseball HOF". Sports Media Watch.
  24. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (July 9, 2015). "Women's Pro League Seeks a Bump From U.S. World Cup Success". The New York Times.
  25. 1 2 "ESPN ADDS NWSL BROADCASTS BEGINNING SUNDAY". SOCCER STL. July 19, 2014.
  26. ↑ Thomas, Wendy (October 26, 2015). "WHEN WILL THE LA GALAXY BRING AN NWSL FRANCHISE TO LOS ANGELES?". Corner of the Galaxy.
  27. ↑ Ruiz, Don (June 30, 2015). "Thorns-Reign kicks off new NWSL TV deal". Tacoma News Tribune.
  28. ↑ Tolar, Alicia (July 1, 2015). "NWSL broadcast deal with FOX will feature Houston Dash in multiple games". SB Nation.
  29. ↑ Sommerfield, Seth (August 21, 2015). "A Fiendish Conversation with Beverly Yanez". SeattleMet.
  30. ↑ "Providence Park named host site for 2015 NWSL Championship match". Timbers.com. August 17, 2015.
  31. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (June 30, 2015). "NWSL and Fox Sports announce national broadcast deal". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  32. ↑ "FOX Sports 1 to broadcast two Thorns FC home matches, FOX Sports GO to feature two additional games". Timbers.com. June 30, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Fox Sports to broadcast six NWSL games in 2016". The Oregonian. April 14, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  34. ↑ Yoder, Matt (July 1, 2015). "NWSL looks to build on Women's World Cup success in new Fox Sports contract". Awful Announcing.
  35. ↑ Megdal, Howard (July 25, 2019). "How Amy Rodriguez Views The USWNT World Cup Win, NWSL Challenge". Forbes.
  36. ↑ Lewis, Jon. "Ratings Roundup: MLB on FOX, WNBA Playoffs, NWSL Final". Sports Media Watch.
  37. ↑ "Ravens-Steelers, Miami-Cincinnati lead cable sports TV ratings for Thursday October 1, 2015". Sports TV Ratings. October 2, 2015.
  38. ↑ "NWSL & FOX Sports Announce National Broadcast Deal". Fox Sports Press Pass. April 14, 2016.
  39. ↑ Ruiz, Dan (August 17, 2015). "NWSL title game set for Portland". The Olympian.
  40. ↑ Delgallo, Alicia (April 14, 2016). "Orlando Pride not part of NWSL national TV deal with FOX Sports". Chicago Tribune.
  41. ↑ "2017 National Women's Soccer League Game of the Week Begins Live Saturday, April 15". Houston Style Magazine. March 30, 2017.
  42. ↑ Jenn Hildreth's NWSL on FS1 Calls (2015) on YouTube
  43. ↑ 2015 NWSL Semifinals #2 on FS1: Seattle Reign FC vs. Washington Spirit (OPEN) on YouTube
  44. ↑ Hoffarth, Tom (June 7, 2019). "Aly Wagner Q&A: Fox Sports analyst embraces Women's World Cup moment". Los Angeles Times.
  45. 1 2 3 "NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership". Black and Red United (SBNation). 13 April 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Lifetime To Air National Women's Soccer League Games As A+E Networks Kicks in For Equity Stake". Deadline Hollywood. 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 "A+E Networks, National Women's Soccer League Ink Major Deal". Variety. 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  48. ↑ Hagey, Keach (February 2, 2017). "A+E Networks Buys Stake in National Women's Soccer League". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  49. ↑ Das, Andrew (February 2, 2017). "In A&E, Women's Soccer League Gets an Investor and a Bigger Platform". The New York Times . Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  50. ↑ "NWSL announces 2017 broadcast schedule on Lifetime". Washington Spirit. March 30, 2017.
  51. ↑ NWSL on Lifetime: North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns (2017 NWSL Championship Game) on YouTube
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership". Black and Red United (SBNation). Vox Media. 13 April 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  53. ↑ Rollins, Sean (May 15, 2017). "Go90 Deal Puts NWSL and Orlando Pride in Dire Situation". The Maneland (SB Nation). Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  54. ↑ Smith, Chad C (May 1, 2017). "The NWSL's go90 Deal Could Be Hurting the League". The Blue Testament (SB Nation). Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  55. ↑ Lee, Allison (April 13, 2017). "Lee: NWSL missed the mark with go90". The Equalizer. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  56. ↑ Bush, Chelsey (May 17, 2017). "Run of Play: Technical Difficulties". The Equalizer. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  57. ↑ "NWSL to offer streams on league site, app". The Equalizer. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  58. ↑ Burke, Timothy (May 27, 2017). "Rachel Daly Collapses, Is Taken Off on Stretcher at End of Match". Deadspin . Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  59. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (June 13, 2017). "NWSL: Measures adopted to deal with afternoon heat". Soccer America. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  60. ↑ "NWSL hopes moving games to evening slot on ESPNews will boost attendance, ensure player safety". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  61. ↑ "NWSL will stream games on website in August and September after go90 shuts down". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  62. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (June 6, 2018). "NWSL hopes moving games to evening slot on ESPNews will boost attendance, ensure player safety". The Oregonian.
  63. ↑ Bupp, Phillip (July 4, 2019). "ESPN to show 14 NWSL games, including playoffs, for the rest of 2019 season". Awful Announcing.
  64. ↑ Poe, Romero, Julia, Iliana Limón (July 4, 2019). "ESPN, NWSL announce broadcast partnership for remainder of 2019 season". Pro Soccer USA.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  65. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (20 February 2019). "The NWSL's partnership with A+E is over. Now what?". The Equalizer. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  66. ↑ Romero, Iliana Limón (April 13, 2019). "How to watch NWSL matches this season". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  67. ↑ Northam, Mitchell (April 17, 2019). "NWSL: NBC Sports Chicago to broadcast Red Stars". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  68. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (July 4, 2019). "NWSL Pro Women's Soccer League Back On TV In ESPN Deal". Deadline.
  69. ↑ "ESPN to show 14 NWSL games, including playoffs, for the rest of 2019 season". Awful Announcing. July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  70. ↑ NWSL on ESPN: North Carolina Courage vs. Chicago Red Stars (2019 NWSL Championship) on YouTube
  71. ↑ "ESPN Signs Media Rights Agreement with National Women's Soccer League for Second Half of 2019 Season". Chicago Red Stars. July 4, 2019.
  72. ↑ Michelis, Belen (October 31, 2019). "National Women's Soccer League Championship on ESPN is the Most-Viewed NWSL Match in Three Years". ESPN Press Room.
  73. 1 2 Lewis, Michael (July 12, 2019). "BROADCAST TALENT: For ESPN's NWSL coverage". Front Row Soccer.
  74. ↑ "Octagon insists on three-year minimums for NWSL US broadcast deals, says report". SportsPro Media. 4 December 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  75. ↑ Megdal, Howard (March 11, 2020). "Takeaways From The New NWSL TV Deal With CBS". Forbes.
  76. ↑ Levine, Matthew (March 11, 2020). "NWSL announces landmark multi-year media agreements with CBS Sports featuring games on CBS, CBS Sports Network, & CBS All-Access and Twitch". NWSL. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  77. ↑ Williams, Bob (2021-06-17). "CBS Sports leverages women's football growth in NWSL deal". SportBusiness Media. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  78. ↑ Alexander, Julia (March 11, 2020). "Amazon continues push into sports with National Women's Soccer League on Twitch". The Verge. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  79. ↑ "NWSL Inks Multi-Year Deal With CBS Sports, Twitch". Sports Video Group. 12 March 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  80. ↑ Tse, Oliver (February 13, 2020). "Why CBS Sports Needs to Hire Kate Scott as the Number 1 Play-by-play Commentator for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)". workingnow88.com.
  81. ↑ Bucholtz, Andrew (June 21, 2021). "NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird apologizes for league-produced broadcast identifying a fan as Jessica McDonald's son". Awful Announcing.
  82. ↑ "All preseason matches have been canceled" (Press release). National Women’s Soccer League. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  83. ↑ "COVID-19 resources and updates for NWSL fans". NWSL. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  84. ↑ "NWSL Announces Full Slate of Matches Ahead of 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Presented by P&G and Secret". RSL.com. June 16, 2020.
  85. ↑ "How To Watch The 2020 National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup On CBS And CBS All Access". CBS. June 24, 2020.
  86. ↑ "UNVEILING THE TALENT: Who will announce NWSL Challenge Cup". Front Row Soccer. June 24, 2020.
  87. ↑ "Chicago Red Stars to face Washington Spirit in 2021 NWSL Championship". Soccer Wire. November 15, 2021.
  88. ↑ Krishnaiyer, Kartik (April 7, 2021). "CBS NWSL Coverage offers greater reach and strong talent". World Soccer Talk.
  89. 1 2 3 Lucia, Joe (March 24, 2023). "NWSL launches international streaming service with Endeavor, also strikes deal with DAZN". Awful Announcing. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  90. ↑ "TSN Acquires Broadcast Rights to the NATIONAL WOMEN'S SOCCER LEAGUE, Kicking Off March 26" (Press release). Bell Media. March 8, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  91. ↑ "NWSL, Tigo Sports Launch First-Ever Spanish-Language Broadcast Program" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  92. ↑ Sim, Josh (January 13, 2023). "NWSL media rights to hit market after CBS exclusivity window expires". SportsPro. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  93. ↑ Gardner, Steve (April 11, 2023). "CBS Sports Golazo Network marks debut of first 24-hour free digital soccer channel". USA Today . Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  94. ↑ "NWSL Announces On-Air Talent Lineup For 2023 Season" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. March 17, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  95. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tannenwald, Jonathan (November 9, 2023). "The NWSL signs new broadcast deals with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and ION worth $60 million a year". Inquirer.com . Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  96. 1 2 3 Lucia, Joe (November 9, 2023). "NWSL announces new media rights deals, reportedly paying $60 million annually". Awful Announcing. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  97. ↑ Sperry, Daniel (November 9, 2023). "NWSL announces new 2024 TV rights deal with Prime, Scripps". Kansas City Star.
  98. ↑ Northam, Mitchell (2019-04-17). "NWSL: NBC Sports Chicago to broadcast Red Stars". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  99. 1 2 3 "Lifetime To Air National Women's Soccer League Games As A+E Networks Kicks In For Equity Stake". Deadline Hollywood . 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  100. ↑ "Houston Dash to host three nationally televised games in 2017". Houston Dynamo. March 30, 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  101. ↑ "Houston Dash unveil local television broadcast schedule". Houston Dynamo. March 17, 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  102. ↑ "A+E Networks and NWSL end partnership". February 20, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  103. ↑ "NWSL will stream games on website in August and September after go90 shuts down". July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  104. ↑ "North Carolina Courage will be feature in five NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts". Vavel. April 1, 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  105. ↑ "Reign FC Home Opener Tonight". Our Sports Central. 4 May 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  106. ↑ "NWSL, FOX Sports announce TV deal". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  107. ↑ "NWSL and ESPN Announce National Broadcast Agreement". National Women's Soccer League. May 28, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  108. ↑ Pramuk, Jacob (March 30, 2015). "What Meerkat, Periscope mean for sports broadcasts". CNBC. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  109. ↑ "NWSL and Fox Sports Announce National Broadcast Deal". National Women's Soccer League. June 30, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  110. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (October 7, 2015). "TV Report: NWSL viewers up for final, down for season". Soccer America. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  111. ↑ "Ratings Roundup: NHL Opening Night, WNBA Finals, NWSL Final". Sports Media Watch. October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  112. ↑ "Lifetime To Air National Women's Soccer League Games As A+E Networks Kicks in For Equity Stake". Deadline Hollywood. 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  113. ↑ Forrester, Nick (March 30, 2017). "NWSL announces 2017 broadcast schedule on Lifetime". Excelle Sports. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  114. ↑ "2018 NWSL Game of the Week Broadcast Schedule | Lifetime". Lifetime. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  115. ↑ "Bright House will broadcast four upcoming Orlando Pride soccer matches". Orlando Weekly. June 23, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  116. ↑ "Alex Morgan Broadcast Her Team's Last Game Via Facebook Live". Sport Techie. April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  117. ↑ Kantrowitz, Alex (April 27, 2016). "Facebook Quietly Live-Streamed Its First Professional Sports Broadcast Over The Weekend". Buzzfeed. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  118. ↑ "NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership". Black and Red United (SBNation). Vox Media. 13 April 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  119. ↑ "Lifetime To Air National Women's Soccer League Games As A+E Networks Kicks in For Equity Stake". Deadline Hollywood . 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  120. ↑ "A+E Networks, National Women's Soccer League Ink Major Deal". Variety. 2 February 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  121. ↑ Forrester, Nick (March 30, 2017). "NWSL announces 2017 broadcast schedule on Lifetime". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  122. ↑ "NWSL ends partnership with A+E Networks". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  123. ↑ Megdal, Howard. "NWSL Announces End To Partnership With A&E; Here's What It Means". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
  124. ↑ "NWSL announces TV deal with ESPN for post-World Cup matches". Soccer Wire.
  125. ↑ Musarurwa, Kudzi (August 23, 2019). "NWSL risks losing its global audience". All For XI.
  126. ↑ "NWSL announces landmark multi-year media agreements with CBS Sports featuring games on CBS, CBS Sports Network, & CBS All-Access and Twitch". www.nwslsoccer.com.
  127. ↑ "NWSL agrees three-year broadcast deal with CBS Sports and Twitch". SportBusiness. March 11, 2020.
  128. ↑ Goldberg, Jamie (30 March 2017). "Portland Thorns to feature in six NWSL Games of the Week on Lifetime". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  129. ↑ Braebeck, Jeremiah. "Portland Thorns Announce Broadcast Details". NWSL News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  130. ↑ Thorns FC Communications (April 10, 2013). "Thorns Announce Broadcast Details for 2013 Season". Portland Thorns FC. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  131. ↑ Thorns FC Communications (April 8, 2014). "Thorns FC announce 2014 Broadcast Schedule, four games to be aired on Comcast SportsNet Northwest". Portland Thorns FC. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  132. ↑ "NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime schedule". National Women's Soccer League. April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  133. ↑ "Sky Blue Announces Broadcast Team for 2016 NWSL season". Empire of Soccer. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  134. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Unveils Inaugural Season Broadcast Options". March 22, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  135. ↑ "Broadcast changes coming for Utah Royals FC's final 3 matches". August 17, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  136. ↑ Casteel, Quinn (2019-01-30). "Washington Spirit, Monumental Sports Network and NBC Sports Washington Announce Broadcast Partnership". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  137. ↑ "S2017 E2 Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit". Lifetime. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  138. ↑ "NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime schedule". National Women's Soccer League. April 16, 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  139. ↑ "WNT on TV: Washington Spirit vs Chicago Red Stars". US Soccer. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  140. ↑ Forrester, Nick (March 30, 2017). "NWSL announces 2017 broadcast schedule on Lifetime". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  141. ↑ Dure, Beau (13 April 2017). "A season on the brink: wide-open NWSL making strides as fifth year kicks off". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  142. ↑ Murlin, Krista. "Boston Breakers announce live streaming option for the 2013 season". NWSL News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  143. ↑ "ESPN Announces Broadcast of NWSL Matches". Boston Breakers. May 28, 2014. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  144. ↑ "NWSL, FOX Sports announce national broadcast deal". Boston Breakers. June 30, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  145. ↑ "NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership". Black and Red United (SBNation). Vox Media. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  146. ↑ McDowell, Sam (February 2, 2017). "NWSL enters agreement with A+E Networks, which will broadcast matches on Lifetime". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  147. ↑ "NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime schedule". National Women's Soccer League. April 16, 2017. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  148. ↑ "FC Kansas City Announces Broadcast Partners". FC Kansas City. April 15, 2013. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  149. ↑ McDowell, Sam (May 17, 2013). "FC Kansas City will try to bounce back from first loss of season". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  150. ↑ "FC Kansas City". My Spectrum Sports. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  151. ↑ "How to Watch the NWSL in 2024?". NWSL. 31 January 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  152. ↑ "NWSL announces 2017 broadcast schedule on Lifetime". Washington Spirit. March 30, 2017.
  153. ↑ "2017 National Women's Soccer League Game of the Week Begins Live Saturday, April 15". Houston Style Magazine. March 30, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.