NWSL announces pair of multiyear media deals
The NWSL inked threeyear agreements with CBS Sports and Twitch to exclusively carry NWSL matches, beginning with an 87-game broadcast lineup in the 2020 season.
The Pride will be featured during two nationally televised matches on CBS Sports Network prior to the Olympic break — on April 24 on the road against the Utah Royals and on June 19 when Orlando visits OL Reign at Cheney Stadium.
Twitch will feature the Pride three times throughout the 2020 season, starting May 30 when they visit the Washington Spirit at Segra Field. In addition, the platform will show Orlando’s Aug. 15 match at the Portland Thorns and a Sept. 12 contest at the Houston Dash.
All other Pride matches will be available via CBS All Access.
This is the first time that a major U.S. broadcast network will present live coverage on a national level for women’s professional soccer in the U.S. The two deals will provide coverage of 87 of the total 108 games of the season inside the U.S. via CBS and offer live coverage of all 108 games around the globe on Twitch.
“The NWSL is elated to partner with CBS Sports and Twitch, two incredible media companies with a proven track record of award-winning coverage,” NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird said. “This new media-rights agreement is a watershed moment for women’s soccer in the U.S. and around the world and is the first time NWSL matches will be available to such a wide audience.
“We are excited to work with CBS with its rich history, tradition and storied innovation to utilize the power of their multiple platforms to reach more fans. We also are eager to team up with Twitch to showcase the brightest stars in the sport. These partnerships will continue to amplify the NWSL and its teams on a national and international stage.”
CBS Sports will carry 87 matches in 2020 on its CBS, CBS Sports Network and CBS All Access platforms.
This will include a broadcast of both the NWSL season opener and the league championship match on CBS, along with two semifinal games and 12 regular season matches on CBS Sports and 71 additional games streamed on CBS All Access.
Those final 71 games will only be available to CBS All Access subscribers, with subscriptions starting at $5.99 a month.
“We are excited to partner with the National Women’s Soccer League, bringing one of the top women’s sports leagues to CBS Sports,” CBS sports executive vice president of programming Dan Weinberg said. “This deal will showcase the strength of CBS’ multi-platform assets across broadcast, cable and digital by bringing marquee games, including the semifinals and NWSL championship to CBS, CBS Sports Network and CBS All Access. We look forward to using our reach across all our platforms to highlight many of the best soccer players in the world.”
In addition to the CBS broadcasts, Twitch will provide free live streams of 24 matches to U.S. viewers during the 2020 season. Outside of the U.S., Twitch will serve as the league’s exclusive media rights partner, carrying broadcasts of all 108 games of the regular season and playoffs.
The league will continue to collaborate with Twitch to create league and playerrelated content and programming to enhance the fan experience throughout the season.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the NWSL as we further expand our sports content on Twitch,” Twitch vice president of content Michael Aragon said. “Their players are the greatest athletes in their sport from around the world and we are thrilled the NWSL chose Twitch as their home to build a bigger community of soccer enthusiasts.”
Coverage will begin with the season opener between OL Reign and the Washington Spirit on Saturday, April 18. The game will kickoff at 1 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on CBS and CBS All Access.