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National Women's Soccer League Signs Four-Year $240 Million Broadcast Deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and Scripps

Landmark deal forty times prior contract to boost the league's exposure, with games aired across multiple platforms and the NWSL retaining rights to 38% of games for its own streaming platform.

Overview

  • The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has signed a $240 million broadcast deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and the Scripps-owned ION network. This agreement, which is 40 times larger than the previous one, spans four years and is expected to significantly increase the league's exposure.
  • The deal stipulates that each of the four broadcasters air a portion of the regular season and playoff games between them, with CBS and ESPN broadcasting games on both their linear networks and respective streaming services.
  • In this partnership, the league managed to retain the rights to 38% of its games, which will be aired on its own streaming platform. This move seeks to promote the league's growing footprint and independence.
  • All four media partners have committed to promoting the league and each other’s broadcasts, an important aspect for consumer awareness in this non-exclusive media deal. This new partnership aims to transform how fans discover and engage with the games.
  • With this contract, the NWSL continues its positive financial trajectory, following an 87% increase in sponsorship revenues in 2022 compared to 2021. This deal marks a milestone for the league, which was reformed in 2012, and its struggle for major media recognition.