NWSL Expands Media Rights With CBS Sports, ESPN and New Partner Victory+ Through 2027.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a mid-cycle expansion of its domestic media rights package, strengthening agreements with CBS Sports and ESPN, while adding a new distribution partnership with Victory+ through the 2026–27 seasons.

Expanded Coverage Across Networks NWSL

Under the updated package:

• CBS Sports will increase its coverage, adding more regular season matches on CBS Sports Network. The NWSL Championship will air in primetime on CBS and Paramount+ for the fifth consecutive year.

• ESPN and ABC will carry weekly regular season matches, including exclusive rights to all eight Decision Day fixtures. Matches will also stream on the ESPN App via DTC or pay-TV authentication.

• Victory+, the league’s fifth media partner, will launch a new Sunday primetime showcase in 2026, introducing 25 weekly broadcasts and adding 32 free-to-stream matches to coincide with the debut of the NWSL’s 15th and 16th teams.

  
  

This expansion will bring 57 total matches to Victory+, enhancing the league’s reach and visibility with a broader national footprint.

Strategic Context

The announcement builds on the NWSL’s groundbreaking 2023 media rights deal, which originally distributed 121 national broadcast windows across CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps/ION. That agreement delivered record results, with audiences quadrupling in its first year and continuing to show strong growth across key demographics.

Global sports marketing agency IMG, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., advised and negotiated the expansion on behalf of the NWSL.

Official Statement

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said:

“We are expanding the discoverability and reach of NWSL matches because the demand is there. These additional media packages will help us reach new audiences and build a new generation of fandom. The expanded commitments from CBS Sports and ESPN, paired with a new national Sunday night showcase with Victory+, bolster the NWSL’s trajectory of unprecedented growth.”

Distribution by Partner, 2026–27

• CBS Sports: 38 matches (10 regular season, 1 quarterfinal, 1 semifinal, championship; 20 CBS Sports Network; 5 additional platform TBD)

• ESPN: 36 matches (33 regular season including all Decision Day matches, 2 quarterfinals, 1 semifinal)

• Victory+: 57 matches (25 Sunday night, plus 32 additional free-to-stream)

• Prime Video: 27 matches (25 regular season, 1 Challenge Cup, 1 quarterfinal)

• Scripps/ION: 50 Saturday night regular season matches

• NWSL+: 40 matches