Professional women’s soccer could soon be more accessible. Per a report from Sports Business Journal, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is looking to secure its fifth media rights deal.
Through its current deals with Amazon, CBS, The Walt Disney Company, and ION, cord cutters can stream live games on Prime Video, Paramount+, and ESPN+. Additionally, the league streams the rest of its games on its own free digital streaming service, NWSL+. Per the SBJ report, the NWSL is looking for a partner to air a package of Sunday night matchups, similar to the Friday and Saturday packages on Prime Video and ION, respectively.
Next season, the NWSL expands to 16 teams, with the additions of Denver and Boston Legacy FC, which will increase the league’s inventory of games. Per the SBJ report, the NWSL’s current media deals make up around 62% of its games, which leaves the NWSL and its media rights advisors (WME and IMG) with over 100 games available for new and existing partners. This deal would be a short two-year deal,
The NWSL is currently in Year 2 of a four-year, $240 million deal with its media partners, and according to SBJ, they have sold all of their ad inventory.
From the SBJ report:
One key reason it was time for the league to go to market on a fifth deal? Multiple sources confirmed that all four current media partners have sold out their advertising inventory for the season.
“You cannot find a place to spend right now,” IMG’s Hillary’s Mandel said at SBJ’s recent Business of Soccer event. “We know what’s motivating interest is the fact that there’s no place to invest. That’s a phenomenal story in such a short period of time.”
The NWSL will soon be up for a new national deal after its current one expires in 2028. For sports fans everywhere, 2028 is shaping up to be a pivotal year, with the NWSL joining the MLB, another pro league searching for a new national media deal. Additionally, at the end of the 2028-29 season, the NFL could opt out of its current contracts, which is sure to entice many possible media partners.
As for now, the NWSL continues to increase its digital footprint. Last month, the NWSL and Roku launched the NWSL Zone hub on the platform. The NWSL hub is the first women’s pro league to have a dedicated space on Roku, and it makes the league even more accessible on Roku devices.
It remains to be seen which streaming platforms decide to go all in on the new package of NWSL games. For now, soccer fans can use our guide to find out how to watch the 2025 NWSL season here.