Media

NWSL Championship Draws League Record Viewership

A record viewing audience of 915,000 watched the Portland Thorns claim their third title.
The match represented the league’s first time on a broadcast network in primetime.

Nov 01, 2022 | 12:19 pm

UPDATED Nov 01, 2022 | 01:50 pm

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Women’s professional soccer continues to gain popularity with American fans.

A record viewing audience of 915,000 tuned in to watch the Portland Thorns defeat the Kansas City Current 2-0 to claim their third NWSL title on Saturday.

That makes it the most-watched match in league history and represents a 71% increase from last season’s championship, also played on a Saturday.

On Saturday night, the NWSL Championship was broadcast in primetime for the first time ever.

Portland's win over Kansas City drew 915,000 viewers — the most-watched game in league history. pic.twitter.com/PDr1C0W4mx
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 1, 2022

Part of the reason for the bump in viewership was likely the match’s presence on CBS in a primetime slot — the first time that has happened in league history.

Overall, 2022 represented a landmark season for the nine-year-old league.

In addition to the uptick in viewership for the final, the NWSL set multiple attendance records this season, including several single-game records and most overall over the course of the season (1,042,063).

It’s all led to a bigger bottom line for the sport as a whole: The number of title sponsors for women’s soccer leagues grew 11% since 2021, while club commercial revenue increased 33% and league commercial revenue jumped 24% year-over-year.