USWNT’s World Cup success leads to ESPN agreeing to broadcast NWSL games

The NWSL is one of the best women’s football leagues in the world, and they have received a major broadcast deal for the remainder of the 2019 season.

United States soccer fans are once again feeling the “World Cup Fever” this year, as the USWNT have made their third straight World Cup final. Something feels different about the interest in this year’s squad, though, because there seems to be even more interest in women’s football in 2019 than in years past. For example, Nike noted a 500% increase in jersey sales for the United States women’s team this summer, and 8.2 million people tuned in to the France vs. U.S. quarterfinals clash.

After the World Cup ends, football fans in the United States can follow the action in the NWSL, where several of their favorite players, such as Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, star for their club teams. And now, the NWSL will have a major broadcast partner, as the NWSL announced that 14 league matches will air on either ESPNEWS or ESPN2 this summer and fall.

Previously, fans could watch all the NWSL games streaming live online at Yahoo! Sports with replays on the NWSL’s official website. It’s unclear if the games other than the ones being broadcast by ESPN will still be available on Yahoo! or the site itself, but the announcement that the NWSL has secured a major broadcast partner is a huge deal.

The NWSL has suffered some financial blows and needs fan support in order to survive, as 2019 is a critical year for the league. Although the NWSL is the most competitive league in women’s football and features world-class talents like Sam Kerr, Marta, Jess Fishlock, and Lindsey Horan, it’s never had a television network known for broadcasting sports agree to more than a one-year contract with it.

FOX Sports and ESPN previously had one-year agreements to air anywhere from six to ten matches across an entire season, so this agreement to air 14 games from July 14 to Oct. 27 is a real upgrade. And hopefully, it leads to a longer contract with ESPN (or another major network).

Although only six of these 14 games will be broadcasted on ESPN2 instead of ESPNEWS, this deal is important for the NWSL and will hopefully help the league financially. Furthermore, it can expose the brand to a wider audience of sports fans, who can see just how high the quality of play in this league is.

Of course, ESPN’s interest in showing these games in the home stretch of the NWSL season likely spawns from the incredible success of the women’s national team, and it’s good to see that the national team’s success continues to fuel growth and interest in women’s football in the United States. Christen Press, Crystal Dunn, Abby Dahlkemper, and so many others have dazzled in the NWSL in the summer months, and it’d be wonderful to see them gain more attention for their consistent greatness outside the USWNT.

ESPN2 will carry the semifinals and final matches in late October, which will surely be can’t-miss games for all sports fans. The rest of the slate looks exciting, too, with ESPNEWS’s first broadcast taking place on July 14 when the star-studded Portland Thorns take on Chioma Ubogagu, Marta, Morgan, and the exciting Orlando Pride attack.