ESPN and the National Women’s Soccer League, the top professional women’s soccer league in the United States, have reached a multi-year agreement for the English-, Spanish-, and Portuguese-language media rights to televise select matches in the U.S. and Latin America.
- ESPN will present live coverage of 20 games – 17 regular-season matches and three playoff matches – each season. Additionally, ESPN in Latin America will showcase the NWSL Championship live each season.
- In the U.S., the NWSL matches will be available in English on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. All matches will also be available in Spanish on ESPN platforms.
- The 20 NWSL matches on ESPN platforms throughout the season will stream live in English and Spanish on ESPN+, the No. 1 sports streaming platform serving fans in the U.S.
- Additionally, coverage of NWSL news and information will be available across espnW, SportsCenter, soccer-specific shows ESPN FC, Futbol Americas, and industry-leading @ESPN Social Media platforms – TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly known as Twitter), and more.
- In Latin America, all matches will air live across ESPN platforms in the region.
- The NWSL now joins an unprecedented portfolio of women’s sports from one media company in the United States:
- WNBA
- Women’s Tennis
- NCAA championships – Women’s Basketball Championships
- Women’s College World Series
- Women’s Volleyball
- Women’s College Gymnastics Championship
- And more
- Through strategic rights acquisitions and programming, ESPN, in over 40 years, has been the driving force connecting fans to women’s sports.
- In soccer, ESPN’s coverage of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup as host broadcaster and showcasing all 32 matches presented live on television in the U.S. for the first time became a historically seminal moment for the sport globally.
- Over the last few years, the National Women’s Soccer League has experienced remarkable growth, solidifying its position as one of the premier women’s professional leagues in soccer.
- With record attendance this year, expanded viewership on linear and streaming platforms, increased fan engagement, and a surge in global recognition, the NWSL has attracted top talent worldwide.
- The league provides a platform for world-class athletes to showcase their skills, such as:
- Six-time FIFA Player of the Year Marta (Brazil),
- Amandine Henry (France),
- Jun Endo (Japan),
- Michelle Alozie (Nigeria),
- Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa),
- And most of the U.S. Women’s National Team players – Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Crystal Dunn, Ashley Sanchez, and more.
What they’re saying:
- Rosalyn Durant, Executive Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN: “The NWSL is among the world’s best women’s professional soccer leagues, and we are excited to showcase the league, the clubs, and the incredible athletes to sports fans. This agreement further strengthens our leadership position as the home for women’s sports.”
- NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman: “Our new multi-partner media rights agreements 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 ESPN for investing in our league and affirmatively declaring to the marketplace that this league is exciting, valuable, and important. 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, and we’re thrilled to have ESPN as a partner. This is the beginning of our future.”