NWSL

NWSL signs historic rights agreement

Reports circulating on sports business outlets claim the NWSL has managed to close a 4-year agreement with ESPN, Amazon, CBS and Scripps.

Gary A. VasquezUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Women’s soccer in the United States is about to get another boost as several media outlets report that the NWSL has reached an agreement for its next cycle of television rights to be broadcasted for the next four years on ESPN, CBS, Amazon and Scripps.

The agreement, which will take effect after the 2027 Women’s World Cup, will pave the way for league to once again secure the biggest names in the big game with the deal expected to be made public in the coming weeks.

As yet, are still no official financial figures relating to the agreement although it is expected that the new arrangement will eclipse NWSL’s current deal with CBS which is worth $1.5 million a year, but also includes the league footing the bill for game production, an annual expense that runs into eight figures. According to Sportico journalist Eben Novy-Williams, the possible offers that the NWSL would have received could have been multiplied by 10 times compared to the rate currently paid by CBS. Novy-Williams points out that none of the television networks decided to comment on the matter.

The new NWSL multi-platform strategy contrasts with that of the MLS offer after the men’s soccer league closed a distribution agreement with Apple earlier in 2023 for the next decade in which the company will pay an average of $250 million per year. Apple is currently the only MLS provider worldwide, creating a unique place where fans can watch the games.

Long term growth

The upward curve currently being experienced by the NWSL in recent years has been exponential, experiencing significant commercial growth thanks to the entry of new owners (Angel City, San Diego Wave) and partners into the franchises.

San Diego Wave FC forward Alex Morgan (13) celebrates her goal against the Portland Thorns FC with defender Christen Westphal (20Soobum ImUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Just a couple of years ago, franchises were being sold for the likes of two million dollars, while now the cheapest team is worth 66 million dollars.

Los Angeles based Angel City is currently the most valuable club in the league with an estimate close to 180 million thanks to its annual revenue, which is on par with the bottom teams in the MLS.

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